


Inside and Out

by Raine_Wynd



Series: Author's Favorites [19]
Category: Pacific Rim (Movies)
Genre: Chuck Lives, Explicit Language, Explicit Sex, F/M, Falling In Love, Gossip, Hand Jobs, Injury Recovery, Invasion of Privacy, Kaiju cultists, M/M, Multi, News Media, Oral Sex, Past Relationship(s), Podfic Welcome, Polyamory, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Slow Build, Somewhat safe sex, Terrorism, Threesomes, World Travel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-20
Updated: 2014-05-07
Packaged: 2018-01-20 01:57:03
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 20
Words: 35,592
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1492468
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Raine_Wynd/pseuds/Raine_Wynd
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Media vs. reality, Post-Pitfall. Also known as my take on what happens when you put three people who have gone through something immensely powerful and then ask them to keep talking about it, over and over, in the media, while they’re slowly falling in love with each other.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This was going to be for the mini-Big Bang, but it a) got too long and b) I wanted to post it sooner.
> 
> Thanks to N., who did his usual cheerleading and spot beta reading.
> 
> Special shout-outs to artificiallifecreator and Sam Johnsson for their suggestions regarding retractions and headlines. Thanks!
> 
> ETA: removed some slang translator app abuse. Sorry!

“In breaking news today, in an unprecedented move, the UN has backed off its threat to consider the PPDC a rogue, hostile force, bowing to multinational pressure in the wake of the PPDC’s heroic victory over the kaiju. In the three weeks since the Breach was closed in a mission known as Operation Pitfall, the PPDC has been visibly demonstrating its humanitarian commitment to the world, using a previously unknown jaeger, Omega Envoy, to assist in reconstruction efforts in Hong Kong and in Sydney. Sources say that it’s the long-rumored Mark V jaeger who was on the line, nearly complete, when the UN ceased funding for the construction program. The Jaeger Academy’s highest-ranking graduates from the last class, Santino Valverde Jiménez and Rose Bochavara, are Omega Envoy’s pilots since the Heroes of the Breach are currently conducting a press tour and recovering from injuries suffered during Operation Pitfall. I’m Luke Stowall, and you’re watching CNN News.”

“Well, that’s a relief,” Chuck noted, hearing the announcement on the TV as he leaned against the bathroom door in the hotel room he was sharing with Raleigh and Mako. Raleigh was instantly there to assist him, as he’d taken to doing, since Chuck hated using a wheelchair. “Nice to know we aren’t going to be confined to Hong Kong.”

“Are you going to call your father and congratulate him?” Mako asked.

“I’ll send him an email,” Chuck said, glancing at the time. “Too late now.”

They were in New York to tape an interview on one of the American late-night shows; this was their twelfth stop on what Herc had called the Victory World Tour. Tomorrow, they’d fly to London and tour Europe, then hopscotch across Asia before heading home to Hong Kong. For security reasons, they were flying in private charter jets, were chauffeured everywhere, and had a designated PPDC security detail assigned to them. None of them believed the kaiju cultists would take the death of their gods lightly, though nothing had happened since Interpol had taken down the most charismatic leader two years previously. It was for that reason that Newt and Herman were not a part of the tour; Herc thought they'd become a prime target if it became known they'd Drifted with a kaiju.

Initially, the three pilots had been booked into separate rooms. It quickly had become apparent they were all going to wind up in the same one anyway. The reservations had promptly changed to be one room with two queen size beds. 

In the two weeks since they’d embarked on this publicity tour, Chuck had come to learn that Raleigh didn’t sleep much, preferring to catnap or work out until sheer exhaustion caused him to sleep. It had meant that Raleigh was just as likely to be found in the space between the two beds as he was to be in one or the other. 

At first, Chuck had been annoyed that the older pilot couldn’t seem to remember that Chuck liked the bed closest to the window, until Mako had pointed out that when Raleigh was that tired, he didn’t always remember his own name. Letting him sleep wherever he fell, as long as it was in the room and not in the bathtub with the water running or out in public, was healthier than getting into a fight. 

Chuck also liked the fact that by sharing a room, he had someone to talk to about the stupid questions they were being asked, someone to share room service with (one of the indulgences they were allowed), and to talk about the things they wanted to see now that the kaiju weren’t around. It also made having to deal with a slowly healing cracked right wrist, shattered right elbow, and ripped gastrocnemius muscle in his left calf easier; Raleigh and Mako were willing to help him maneuver around. Raleigh had even volunteered to assist him with showering – an offer Chuck had initially rejected, only to have Raleigh point out that unless he was a contortionist, he was going to have a hard time getting himself clean without injuring himself.

“Besides,” Raleigh had pointed out, “it’s either me or Mako, and I promised your dad I’d make sure you didn’t hurt yourself. Otherwise, you’d have been stuck back at the ‘dome, recovering while we did this tour.”

That had been enough to sway Chuck. Most jaeger pilots lost their sense of modesty around the time they were fitted for their first drivesuit. It was hard to hold onto any sense of modesty when a crew of people swarmed around a pilot in his or her underwear, making sure that the drivesuit’s underlayer laid flat, that the seams were tucked in properly, and that the waste fittings were in the right place. Raleigh, as Chuck expected, treated the whole bathing experience as if it was just something he was doing for a fellow Ranger. That alone had gone a long way to building up Chuck’s estimation of the older man. 

It was, Chuck decided, a little disconcerting to see how Raleigh played the ‘I’m blond, pretty, and all that engineering stuff is over my head’ card in interviews, knowing, as Chuck did, that Raleigh was responsible for a ton of input into Omega Envoy, the newest jaeger. He was also increasingly aware of Raleigh as a person to whom he was attracted. Raleigh wasn’t Chuck’s usual style – he preferred guys who were softer, less harder-edged, a little more in need of someone to take charge, not someone who could match or beat him, strength-for-strength. It was a dichotomy, Chuck knew, since his ideal woman was – and always had been – someone who wouldn’t let him get away with shit just because he was Chuck Hansen. All in all, it was an odd feeling, and Chuck wasn’t sure if he should pursue it. For one thing, he had no idea if Raleigh even swung that way. 

“Thanks, mate,” Chuck said now as Raleigh assisted him to the edge of the nearest bed. 

Raleigh grinned easily. “How long ‘til you’re healed, again?”

“Four weeks at least,” Chuck said with a grimace. “Two weeks for the leg and then I get a walking cast, and I get a soft cast for the arm. We’ll be in Berlin then, I reckon, so we’ll have to go to one of the military bases – the seppo one – to get me set up. Wish they’d just fly me back.”

“Too expensive,” Mako said as she leaned back against the headboard of the bed closest to the window, a tablet in her lap, open to the book she’d been reading. “And too long of a trip just for something that could be done locally. Or are you missing Max?” 

“Yeah,” Chuck said, and the look she gave him said she wasn’t fooled by the substitution; she never had been, and he hoped she never would. “Wish Dad would’ve let me take him along.”

“It would’ve been impractical, with as many cities as we have to visit,” Mako pointed out. “And you’ve never been good with sitting around.”

“I’m sure your dad’s taking care of your dog just fine,” Raleigh added. 

“What do you guys think about the plan to flog some of the jaeger tech and K-science for civilian use?” Chuck asked, changing the subject. He didn’t want to dwell on the fact that the medical staff at the Shatterdome had chosen to wait to operate on his elbow and leg until he’d been cleared for radiation exposure, which had delayed his recovery by a week.

“Gotta be careful about what we sell,” Raleigh noted. “Don’t want to be responsible for someone turning the jaegers into the next arms race, though I’ve been hearing rumors that people have been trying to reverse engineer some of it.”

“How you can say shit like that and act like a blond puppy in interviews,” Chuck began.

“What, you don’t like it?” Raleigh asked with a grin as he laid down beside him on the bed.

“Wish the world could see the battler we see,” Chuck said. 

Raleigh stacked half of the available pillows behind him as he shook his head. “Better if I don’t. You guys – people expect you to be smart, because that’s who you’ve been all along. Me, they’ve never expected to be anything but Yancy’s eager little brother, so now that I’m damaged…” He shrugged. “I’m fucking brilliant compared to what they think I should be. The people who matter know the difference.”

“Why?” Chuck demanded.

Mako answered for him. “Because there’ll be a time when we need him to be the voice nobody expects to hear from,” she said shrewdly. “The PR people coached you.”

Raleigh nodded as Chuck groaned. “No wonder they were so hard on me. They had to deal with you.”

Raleigh grinned. “I’d tell you I’m sorry, but I’d be lying. So when is our next interview?”

“They are sending a car for us this afternoon; we need to be at the studio at two.”

Raleigh checked his watch. “So we’ve an hour to kill. Do we need to be dressed a certain way?”

Picking up his phone, Chuck checked his calendar. “It’s suggested we wear something casual. Want to go with a theme again?”

Mako shook her head. “No. I want to wear something pretty for a change, and I have a lace-trimmed top I’ve wanted to wear. You two can coordinate if you want.”

Raleigh glanced at her. “It’s going to show your shoulder scars, Mako.”

“I’m not ashamed of them, and this is the first chance I’ve had to show them off since you peeled off the bandages two days ago.”

“In that case,” Raleigh said, going to his suitcase, “I’m going with an old favorite.” One of the things they’d packed was a set of Gipsy Danger jaeger t-shirts the PR team had unearthed from somewhere, since Raleigh had admitted he’d left most of his logowear behind when he’d left, only taking with him Yancy’s dog tags and their leather jackets. Unearthing the shirt he wanted from the pile, Raleigh held it up to show to Chuck and Mako. “What do you guys think?”

“Just for that, I’m waving the flag for Down Under, you seppo.”

Raleigh laughed. “Sorry, but I think they were disappointed in LA when I wasn’t wearing ‘Gipsy Danger USA’ and had a button-down shirt on.”

“Little did they know you wanted to but couldn’t get your shirt on. Never seen anyone so excited they couldn’t get dressed,” Chuck said drolly.

Raleigh grinned. “I’m easily distracted when I’m excited, what can I say? Drove Yancy nuts.”


	2. Chapter 2

“Welcome to the _Tonight Show._ I’m your host, Steven Silver, and we are so thrilled tonight to welcome three people who have literally changed the world as we know it. Please give a warm welcome to the Heroes of the Breach – Rangers Mako Mori, Raleigh Becket, and Chuck Hansen!” the gray-haired comedian turned late-night talk show host said, his arm sweeping around to indicate the direction from where the trio entered the stage. He rose from his chair, clapping, as the in-studio audience did the same.

Mako led the way, Raleigh assisting Chuck since he couldn't use crutches until his arm healed. They took a moment to get settled, with Mako sitting in the chair closest to the host’s desk and Chuck in between her and Raleigh. “Thank you, Steven,” Mako said once they were settled.

“I’m sure you’ve heard this a million times already, but thanks for kicking ass on those kaiju,” Steven said.

“You’re welcome,” Raleigh said, grinning. “It was fun.”

Steven laughed. “So I’m going to ask the question I’m sure is on everyone’s minds – who gets to count those last few kills?”

Chuck replied, “Officially, Striker has 11, and Gipsy 9, but my way of figuring – Raleigh beat me and I’m apples with that.”

Steven chuckled. “How’s that?”

“Raleigh was the last pilot out; he’s the one who detonated the bomb, so –“ Chuck shrugged carefully “– nine plus however many were waiting on the other side’s more than I can count.”

Steven looked at him, then at the camera. “I like that kind of math, don’t you?” The audience laughed. “You guys have been touring for the last two weeks. How’s that working out, with everyone still recovering? Mako, I see you have scars now? If you don’t mind me asking, how far do they go down your right side?”

Mako nodded. “Yes. They go from my shoulder down to mid-thigh; we lost an arm and part of a leg when we were fighting the kaiju under water.”

Steven whistled softly. “Wow. And this was only your second time piloting, correct?”

“Yes. Raleigh now has a matched set on both sides, and Chuck has some as well.”

“Do you mind if we see?” Steven asked Raleigh, who stood, pulled off his ‘GIPSY DANGER USA’ logo t-shirt, and treated the audience to a look at his drive suit scars. Well aware of his role as beefcake, Raleigh let the camera linger. Someone in the audience whistled appreciatively. 

“Some people would pay a lot of money for a tattoo like that,” Steven observed as Raleigh put his shirt back on and sat down. 

“Some people would be drongos,” Chuck replied. “Nothing against tats, mate – my old man’s got a few from when he was RAAF and I've a few myself – but scars like the ones we have are different yarns entirely.”

Steven nodded. “You earned those, absolutely. Chuck, you were the most hurt of anyone here. How did you get so hurt?”

“I got bounced around a bit in my escape pod on the way up, twisted myself the wrong way. Got another couple of months of recovery, then some physical therapy.” He tactfully didn’t mention how he’d been screaming at Stacker the entire time, swearing that he wasn’t supposed to leave his copilot to die, no matter how much Stacker wanted it.

“Given how intent you were on being the best pilot, you’ve got to be going out of your mind watching someone else climb into the newest jaeger.”

Chuck shook his head. “Nah, I’ll bail that one to Santino and Rose. They’ve been waiting for their jaeger for a long time, and they get the bloody drag job now – walking around, underwater, making sure nothing pops up.” He grinned at Steven. “Been taking lessons from Raleigh on that whole ‘sit back, chill, let someone else take the lead’ thing.”

“Only because you can’t run,” Raleigh teased, and the audience tittered. 

“So what’s next for the three of you?” Steven asked.

“Working for the PPDC,” Mako answered.

“No plans to go back to Alaska, Raleigh?” Steven asked.

Raleigh shook his head. “Spent five years traveling through it, which had always been one of my goals. Maybe I’ll come back there someday, but I know where I need to be.”

“What about you, Chuck? You’ve often said you love Sydney.”

“Oh, it’s likely we’ll go back,” Chuck said. “I’d like to see the rest of that stupid wall torn down and North Sydney be rebuilt, like so many other places the kaiju have torn to pieces. Right now, I’m focused on helping my old man and getting to know these two people. Mako and I go back to when we were ankle biters, y’know, and I regret that I let that friendship slide over petty shit.”

“You were busy doing your job, as I was mine,” Mako excused him easily. 

“Chuck, a long time ago, you were asked who your favorite jaeger was –”

Chuck flushed with embarrassment, aware of what was coming. “For the record, my dad and my rellie were not stoked with my answer back then,” he said quickly.

Raleigh grinned; he’d been told, back then, that Herc Hansen’s son was a fan. 

“– so I, for one, would like to know what it was like to finally get a chance to fight alongside Gipsy Danger as your father and uncle did,” Steve said.

Chuck took a moment to compose his reply. “You know how when you’re an ankle biter and dreaming of piloting a jaeger, you always think you’re up against the meanest, baddest kaiju there could ever be? Well, we got that wish. Manila was a three-jaeger drop against a single kaiju. We were two jaegers against three kaiju. So in some ways, it was a dream come true, and in others, it was a nightmare, because they were the meanest, baddest kaiju we’d ever seen.”

“Wow,” Steven said, clearly impressed. “Wow. That’s amazing. Again, our thanks to all of you for doing what you did.” He paused before asking, “Raleigh, if your brother was here –”

“– he’d be pleased,” Raleigh finished tightly. Mako reached over and grasped his hand in silent support; though it had become a common question, she knew he hated it. 

The rest of the interview went as the trio expected, with the standard set of questions about how it was to work together, what it was like to fight against such massive kaiju, their thoughts on the sacrifices of their fellow pilots, and the like. They were back in their hotel room in time for dinner.

“When’s our next flight?” Raleigh asked as Mako called in their room service order.

“We need to be up and ready to bail at 0500,” Chuck told him. “Don’t you have it on your phone?”

“Haven’t turned it on since it was issued to me,” Raleigh said, shrugging. “Besides, you have the schedule memorized; it’s just as easy to ask you.”

Chuck barked out a laugh at that. “You afraid of your phone or something?”

Raleigh grinned. “No. Haven’t had one for four years; got out of the habit, so I shoved the one the PPDC issued me into the bottom of my suitcase.”

“I would be lost without mine,” Mako interjected. “Our food will be here in half an hour. Did you want to play chess, Chuck?”

“I’m going to win,” Chuck said.

Mako rolled her eyes and pulled out the traveling game case from her suitcase. Though both had learned to play on tablets, the feel of real chess pieces had fascinated Mako, a fascination Chuck shared. Raleigh took his usual spot on the bed closest to the window, turning on the TV for background noise, while Chuck and Mako set up on the other bed. 

Chuck suspected Raleigh could play, but chose not to so he and Mako could work on their friendship. It had become habit for them to unwind from their days this way; talking or not as they chose. Chuck had tried, initially, to shut her and Raleigh out, to reject their overtures, but Mako had pointed out they were going to be on the road for the next four months, and she did not want to spend the entire time not speaking with him outside of interviews. Unable to refute that logic, Chuck had acquiesced – and found himself free to be someone he hadn’t let himself be unless he was alone with his dog.

It had been a long time since he’d been free to just be Chuck – no expectations about how good he was in a jaeger, nothing to prove, and no pressure to be anything. All Mako and Raleigh cared about was whether he was in the mood to be social, if he needed to be alone, or if he needed a hand getting himself clean. If he wasn’t in the mood to be social, they would leave him alone. If he was in the mood to be social, chess, cards, or whatever was on TV was fair game. By mutual agreement, they’d decided to avoid going to bars until Chuck was fully healed.

Tonight, Mako was playing a careful, methodical game, which meant that Chuck had to pay attention, at least until their food came. “Really, Mako?” he taunted her now. “Are you just trying to figure out a strategy or do you have a plan?”

Mako smiled. “You just don’t like being fenced in.”

“Hell, no, I don’t. “ He moved his bishop; too late, he saw the trap. “Damn it.”

Her smile widened. “Check.”

“Damn it. Fine. Shit.”

Raleigh looked over at the board and started laughing. “That’s what, five out of seven now she’s won, Chuck?”

“Shut up. I know she’s your copilot and all, but shut up,” Chuck growled, and tossed a pillow at him.

Raleigh ducked and the pillow sailed harmlessly to the floor.

“You need to think about the long play, Chuck,” Mako suggested.

He looked at her, not understanding, before he reviewed the games they’d played. “Oh. I play like I’m going to need to hop into a jaeger in the next half hour.”

She nodded. “And that means all of your plays are designed to win quickly. We can always take a picture of the board and resume it another day, if need be.”

“You’d be willing to do that?”

“Sure,” she said, and her smile promised he’d regret it, regardless. Laughing a little at himself, for he’d forgotten just how easy it was to love her ruthlessness, Chuck committed himself to their new gameplay.


	3. Chapter 3

_“Rangers Mori, Becket, and Hansen were spied in New York’s JFK Airport this morning surrounded by their PPDC security contingent,” the celebrity reporter announced. “Ranger Hansen was in a wheelchair, being pushed by Ranger Becket. The trio was instantly recognizable thanks to their jaeger leather jackets, and sharp-eyed observers noted that Ranger Mori was wearing her own Coyote Tango crewman’s jacket – not, as some have speculated, Yancy Becket’s Gipsy Danger jacket. Mori was given the Coyote Tango jacket as a present, honoring Mori as an unofficial crewmember, from Ranger Sevier before her death. The trio was in a rush to make their charter flight before a line of storms hit the region. Upon being recognized, they called out their thanks for support, but did not stop for any autographs. They were one of the last flights out before the storms forced the closure of the airport.”_

“Ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain speaking. I’ve turned on the ‘fasten seatbelt’ sign. It’s going to be a very bumpy, folks; sorry. We’ll try to get through this storm as safely as we can. Please remain seated until further notice. In light of the turbulence, we are cancelling the first beverage service for the safety of our attendants.”

Chuck swore viciously. Beside him, Raleigh reached over and gripped his free hand briefly. “Be easier if you talk to me instead of chasing that R.A.B.I.T.,” Raleigh said quietly. “I know you had a bumpy ride out of Striker.”

“Bumpy, fuck bumpy. Try battered. If Dad hadn’t insisted on upgrading the escape pods on Striker after what happened in Lima, I’d be dead instead of here. I do not want to go down in this plane.”

“None of us do,” Raleigh assured him. “What happened in Lima?”

“Pilot ejected and crashed straight into a building; the impact killed him,” Chuck said. “The PPDC tried to say it was the kaiju, but the kaiju got the primary pilot, not the other one. Fuck.”

The plane shuddered as Raleigh did the same. “All right, time for happier thoughts for both of us,” he managed. “Did you ever want to be anything other than a jaeger pilot? Breathe, Chuck, and focus on me.”

Chuck tried not to hyperventilate. With an effort, he breathed out and focused on the American’s voice. “If I did, it was before Scissure.”

“Yeah? Kid stuff, like being a fireman or some guy you saw on TV?”

“I wanted to be a pilot because my dad was one and it was fucking grouse what he did,” Chuck said, and let out a breath as the plane bounced. The plane bounced again, and Chuck grabbed for the armrest. 

Raleigh chuckled softly at Chuck’s words. “Not a cowboy or a fireman?” he asked.

“There was the time I wanted to be a ballerina,” Chuck admitted, desperately trying to reach for the most ridiculous thing he could think of. He appreciated what Raleigh was trying to do; it just was a little difficult to think through the rising panic.

“Yeah? My sister wanted to be that more than anything. I wanted to be a superhero,” Raleigh said. “Me and Yancy found this abandoned factory once and we played for hours pretending to be on the chase of a super villain.”

“Yeah? Where?” It was easier to breathe, Chuck discovered, and ignore the way the plane bounced in the turbulent air, as long as he kept his eyes on Raleigh. Mako sat on his left, next to the window, and Chuck could feel her concerned eyes on him.

“Czech Republic,” Raleigh answered. “My dad worked for an international bank; we moved a lot when I was younger.”

“Your mom didn’t mind you running off to explore in a foreign country?”

Raleigh shrugged. “She figured Yancy would keep me out of trouble.” He paused before adding, “She believed since we were boys, we could handle ourselves. Jaz had the worst time because she was a girl and she always wanted to run after us.”

Chuck laughed, and found he could, indeed, breathe. “What happened when you couldn’t?”

“That’s what cell phones were for,” Raleigh grinned. “And Yancy and I picked up languages pretty easily, so we always made sure we knew some basic stuff.” He studied Chuck a moment as the turbulence continued. “Who looked after you when your dad and your uncle were doing stuff?”

“Depended on what they were doing,” Chuck admitted. “The first year, the PPDC made me stay in our quarters doing online schooling if it was during the day because they were worried I’d hurt myself. I’d still sneak out as soon as I was finished, so eventually Lucky Seven’s crew chief decided if I was going to do it anyway, I might as well have permission.”

“I remember you had a chair in LOCCENT, too,” Mako reminded him. “ _Sensei_ was not happy you were allowed to watch there.”

“He never stopped me,” Chuck pointed out as the plane lurched alarmingly and Chuck swore. “I may pash the ground when we’re off this thing. Someone tell the pilot he’s not allowed to kill us?”

As if summoned, the captain came on the intercom again. “Just a few more minutes, ladies and gentlemen, and we’ll be clear of this. Again, please stay seated with your seatbelts securely fastened.”

“Few more minutes, my coit,” Chuck growled, but Raleigh and Mako kept distracting him until the plane was in clearer air.

That night, Chuck was never more grateful for their sleeping arrangements when he woke up screaming and found Raleigh right beside him, telling him, “You’re not there now, Chuck; you were dreaming.”

He’d woken up Mako as well, and she tucked herself on Chuck’s left, mindful of the cast on his leg. “You are with us,” she assured him.

Chuck shuddered out a breath. “Can I…” He frantically searched his mind for something that would be unlike anything he’d been dreaming of, and settled on something he knew Mako would remember: a moment from happier times. “Can you sing that song, Mako? The one about hearts on fire from that anime we liked?” 

Mako smiled. It had been an old song by the time they’d discovered it and proclaimed it theirs with all the fervency of young love, heedless of the fact that it didn’t quite fit. “I don’t remember all of it,” Mako told him now. “But…” she cleared her throat and began to sing in Japanese.

Much to his surprise, Raleigh joined her – maybe it was a Drift thing, maybe it was something he genuinely knew, but the sound of their voices anchored Chuck to the here and now. When they were finished, Chuck reached for them as best as he could.

“Thanks.”

“Think you can sleep now?” Raleigh asked huskily, and Chuck was suddenly struck by a need to hear that register again, for entirely different reasons.

“In a bit,” Chuck managed.

“We’ll be here,” Mako assured him.

“You’re nearly falling off,” Chuck noted, and she laughed.

“Then scoot over,” Mako said practically, and somehow, they wedged themselves all into the same bed. In the morning, Chuck woke to find Mako and Raleigh had migrated to the other bed sometime in the wee hours, but he found he didn’t mind; they’d kept their promise long enough to let him fall asleep without dreaming again.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I should note that in 2026, all the media I cite here will likely have new names and formats, so I'm using current media names as a kind of shorthand so you know the basic genre/format/style. :-) Any actual resemblance to what they'd be in thirteen years is probably a coincidence. Probably. ;-)

_MAKO MORI IN LOVE TRIANGLE – Sources claim that Mako Mori, one half of the Gipsy Danger jaeger pilot team, has resumed her romance with childhood sweetheart, Chuck Hansen – right under the nose of her besotted copilot, Raleigh Becket! The trio is traveling the world in what the Pan Pacific Defense Corps is calling a Victory Tour – and they’re only sharing a single room! Could this be the romance of the century – or is Raleigh’s heart going to be broken? Mako and Chuck have a long history, having been raised in Shatterdomes by their jaeger pilot fathers, and many speculated they’d pilot a jaeger together. Raleigh only met Mako four days before they Drifted together for the first time, and he’s been in love ever since. “She’s amazing,” he’s repeatedly said in interviews._

_A source claims Raleigh once fought his brother over a woman. Could it happen again, this time with the Aussie brawler, Chuck Hansen?  
\- The Star Weekly Online_

“Good morning, and welcome to _BBC Breakfast,_ ” the neatly attired Brit news anchor said. “With us today, three of the heroes responsible for the closure of the Breach – Mako Mori, Raleigh Becket, and Chuck Hansen. Welcome to London. Thank you so much for joining us.”

“Glad to be here,” Chuck replied. 

“Before I get started on asking you the questions I’m sure you’re tired of addressing by now,” the news anchor said, “I’d like to address a rumor that’s been persisting on the Internet. Is there any truth to a relationship between you and Mako, Chuck?”

Chuck laughed. “We’re friends,” he said. “Once upon a time, we were crazy over each other.”

“So much so our fathers were afraid we’d wind up piloting together,” Mako admitted, shooting Chuck a fond smile.

“Mako and I have had our differences over the years, which is probably why people are taking a second look at the way we are now. We’ve gotten closer because of the experiences we share, and because –” Chuck grinned sheepishly “– I’m currently on the disabled list, so I need help.”

“One more rumor to quash, then,” the news anchor said with a nod. “Raleigh, are you in love with Mako?”

Raleigh shot Mako a grin. “Who wouldn’t? She rebuilt a jaeger _and_ she helped me kick kaiju ass.” He met the news anchor’s eyes. “Of course, this adoration lasts until she kicks my ass in the kwoon, and reminds me I’m out of practice.”

Chuck laughed. “As long as you don’t do it in the room like you did last week.”

The news anchor smiled, enjoying the byplay. “You three have become close friends, then,” he observed.

“Oh yeah,” Chuck agreed as Raleigh and Mako nodded, and the news anchor tactfully changed the line of questioning to the ones they’d expected to answer.

* * *

"Mako, what is your response to the accusations that Marshal Pentecost needlessly endangered the lives of the Weis and the Kaidanovskys by failing to insist on a change of tactics?"

Mako's mouth tightened. "They received the same briefing as Raleigh and I did. No one anticipated the evolution of the kaiju; we knew they were the largest Category IV kaiju we'd seen to date."

"What about the accusations of favoritism? You wouldn't have become a jaeger pilot if the late marshal wasn't your adoptive father."

"If nepotism alone gave someone the ability to pilot, then UN Representative Taylor's daughter wouldn't have failed to pass the physical fitness test at the Jaeger Academy," Mako said primly. 

Chuck glared at their interviewer, who was apparently determined to ask all of the "hard-hitting" questions. Still, Chuck kept his mouth shut; he knew Mako could defend herself.

"Is it true that you refused to rename Gipsy Danger despite protests?"

“I was unaware of any protests,” Mako replied coolly. “Gipsy Danger was originally named as part of a jaeger naming contest held by the PPDC. Even if I wanted to change it, I would not have been allowed to do so.”

“Ranger Hansen, how was it to pilot the fastest, most advanced jaeger with someone who hadn’t been in a conn-pod in a decade and who’d been diagnosed with cancer?”

“Like piloting with one of the best jaeger pilots who ever lived,” Chuck shot back. The interviewer – unlike the _BBC Breakfast_ interviewer they’d had that morning – was a shark, out for blood. “He was a fixed point, a bonza leader, and a bonza pilot. He and Raleigh are the only two to ever pilot jaegers solo.”

“Ranger Becket, Marshal Pentecost dismissed you from the program for insubordination. Why were you willing to follow him?”

Raleigh gave the interviewer a pitying look. “I’m brain damaged, not stupid. Marshal Pentecost did the right thing for the world – and my brother and I paid the price the one time we chose to disobey him. When the marshal came looking for me, I knew he had to be desperate – and yes, I was willing to follow him, because I knew he had a plan, and it was going to be a good one.” Raleigh paused. “You’re asking us to prove something about Marshal Pentecost you hold to be true. He wasn’t reckless. He didn’t play favorites.”

“He didn’t have to adopt me,” Mako added, sounding fiercely proud. “My country tried to tell him that I would be taken care of in an orphanage; he believed I would become nothing more than a symbol, to be trotted out on special occasions like a porcelain doll, and he wanted more for me. He asked me if I wanted to stay where I was. I said no – and he made it possible for me, a girl my family thought was worthless because of my gender, to be educated.”

“That’s the bloke I followed,” Chuck added. “A father willing to sacrifice everything, a military leader who understood the big picture, and a pilot’s pilot – one who could shift tactics when I would’ve rather attacked blindly.”

“We needed that leadership to win against the kaiju,” Raleigh said. “Say what you want about Marshal Pentecost’s decisions – and I know I didn’t always agree with them – but he had a plan, and we made it work. I don’t think the results would’ve been the same without him.” Raleigh looked Mako, then at Chuck, and the two men nodded once.

“Now, mate,” Chuck began, “if you have nothing else to ask that’s worth answering, this interview’s over. Mako, grab my wheelchair, will you?”

Together, they exited the stage, leaving the interviewer scrambling for his dignity. 

“We need to rack off,” Chuck ordered their head of security, Frank, who nodded.

Mako held herself together until they got into the limo to take them back to the hotel. Raleigh looked at her. “Go on, let it out.”

“Why the fuck do they question things like this?” Mako demanded, lapsing into Japanese. “My father did the right thing, the only thing he could do.” Angry tears filled her eyes. “Why aren’t they more grateful?”

Grateful that he’d learned the language, in part to impress her, Chuck understood every word. He was grieving, too, for Stacker, but he knew it was nothing compared to what she felt. Aware his Japanese was rusty, he didn’t attempt to speak it. “World’s only been grateful when we’ve killed the monsters. Now we’re telling them the monsters have been banished, they’re going to find ways to tell us we were wrong to bloody go about it the way we did.”

“Bruce Gage told me he and his brother were asked, if we could build jaegers big enough to fight the kaiju, why couldn’t we just nuke the Breach?” Raleigh pulled Mako in close. “Other people think it’s so easy to do what we’ve done. They don’t know us as people.”

Chuck nodded agreement. “Interviewer was a professional asshole, Mako. I should know. I play one on TV.”

That made her laugh reluctantly, as he knew it would. Digging into the limo’s mini-bar, he passed over a few napkins so she could wipe her tears, which quickly became a flood as the realization that her father was dead hit her again. 

Neither man said anything as she cried out her grief, and Chuck even accepted using a wheelchair, pushed by one of their security, so that Raleigh could hold his copilot while they made their way to their hotel room.


	5. Chapter 5

Chuck took advantage of Mako’s temporary absence from the room – she’d gone with a member of their security detail to shop for souvenirs and some personal items (an excuse they all knew as a cover for some time alone) – to ask Raleigh a question. “You’ll pass on fucking Mako?”

Seated in the hotel room’s lone side chair, Raleigh looked up from the tattered paperback he’d been reading to meet Chuck’s gaze calmly. “I don’t want to lose my copilot, so yes, I’ll pass. If you want her because of your history with her and who she’s become….”

Chuck shook his head. “Pretty sure that ship sailed a long time ago. Just – you really act like you’re in love.”

Raleigh shook his head. “Like I said in the interview this morning – she’s an incredible human being. My taste in bed partners tends to run in a different direction.”

“Such as?”

“Other men, for one,” Raleigh replied blandly.

Chuck stared. For years, he’d been convinced that at least one of the Beckets was gay, but he’d been so sure it was Yancy. “I thought you were straight.”

Raleigh laughed. “Nah. Not since Yancy and I fought over a woman and we decided to divide and conquer instead. He got the pretty girls; I got the tough boys.”

Awkwardly, Chuck said, “Oh.”

Raleigh raised an eyebrow, amused. “Something I should know, Hansen?”

“Thought your brother was gay, not you.”

Raleigh laughed. “No. He thought about it sometimes, especially after we Drifted. You know how that goes, when you’re trying to untangle yourself from your copilot.”

Chuck barked out a laugh. “Yeah.” He paused before adding, “My old man likes to reckon he’s more mature than he is.”

“Are you saying it was his idea to fire flare guns at a kaiju?”

“Yes.” Chuck grinned, remembering.

Raleigh chuckled. “Yancy always wondered what would happen if we did that. He would’ve loved to have seen that.” He studied Chuck a moment. “So, you do like girls or guys or both?”

“Both,” Chuck admitted, feeling as though it was only fair. “Got bushed of one-night stands pretty quick, but I didn’t feel right about trying for more. Last two years, I haven’t had the time for even that. You?”

Raleigh took his time answering. “Not since before Knifehead. Didn’t want anyone to get too close, see my scars and start asking questions.” He put the book he’d been toying with aside. “Did you need my help for something or….”

Chuck took a deep breath before blurting, “I’d like to fuck you.”

Raleigh tilted his head slightly, as if needing to consider the Australian from another angle. A slow smile spread his lips. “You asking that just to see if I’ll say yes, because you’re bored, or because you need to get off?”

Chuck glared at him. He’d been certain that Raleigh would just go for it; Mako wasn’t due back for another half hour, and that would be enough time to have some fun. “What’s wrong with getting off with a friend?”

“Nothing,” Raleigh replied. “But as your friend, I’d like to point out that it would be better if we waited until you’re completely healed. That muscle you ripped runs up to the base of your ass; you can barely stand up without help, and it’s been over a month. I’d like not to be the cause of you being in an ER due to some stupid sex injury.”

Chuck groaned. “Is that all you have to say?”

“Well, I could also say that I don’t want to fuck up this nice little friendship we’ve been developing, but either you don’t care about that or you don’t think it’s going to be a problem.”

Chuck stared; he hadn’t considered that little tidbit. Somehow, he’d expected they’d just fuck and keep on acting like they’d been.

Raleigh looked him with a rueful smile. “I’ve been keeping to myself the last five years. I haven’t had very many friends and even fewer lovers, much less fuck buddies. So as much as you’re my type, I’m not going to be impulsive.”

Chuck studied the older man, abruptly aware, again, that Raleigh had reasons to be cautious – and that the tour had forced them all to be open and vulnerable to each other. “You are attracted, though,” Chuck noted.

Raleigh nodded. “Yancy used to tease me about wanting jailbait, meaning you. You were cute when you were younger.”

“Oi, don’t tell me that,” Chuck objected.

“Too late; I already did.” Raleigh grinned, unrepentant. “Figured if we were still piloting when you were 18, I’d find some excuse to meet you.”

“16’s legal in most of Down Under, mate; it’s how I was able to join as young as I did,” Chuck pointed out. “Some on the UN Council tried to argue that 16 was not old enough to know what I was getting into and my old man had to argue that since I was Aussie, I was.”

Raleigh raised an eyebrow. “I’d still have been arrested for what I wanted to do,” he countered.

“So why won’t you now?”

“I don’t want to ruin what we have,” Raleigh told him, leaning forward. “What we have now - especially after the way we fought in the hallway - I'm not inclined to lose. And something tells me you care a lot more about Mako than you’re willing to admit, and I think you need to figure it out so we aren’t blindsided.”

Startled by that, Chuck eyed Raleigh. He thought he’d been better at hiding how he felt about Mako, but clearly he hadn’t been. Getting to know her again was bringing back all those feelings he’d thought he’d buried, feelings about how she’d set a bar no woman since could match. “Raleigh, we were kids in love. I don’t feel that way about her now.”

“No, but you defended her this morning,” Raleigh pointed out. “And you love the way she challenges you to think. That chess game – you two both could’ve won the last one several times, but you keep changing it up so you’re continuing to play instead. At the rate you’re going, it’ll be a stalemate, and you won’t care, because you get her to laugh instead of dwell on what she’s lost. What you’ve both lost.”

How did he ever think this man was not worth the title of jaeger pilot? Chuck wondered. Listening to him now, Chuck was abruptly aware that it took more than brute strength to fight a kaiju – it took the ability to think as one with someone else, which meant paying attention to how they acted in and out of a conn-pod. It meant also paying attention to whom your copilot was interacting with the most, because you might see them more intimately than you ever wanted.

“I think I like you better when you pretend to be a clueless blond,” Chuck retorted, and Raleigh laughed. 

“So yeah, I’m going to use your current condition as an excuse, because I think we need to be careful about this. If it doesn’t work out, it’s going to make working with you hell, and by extension, your dad, who’s now the marshal, and frankly, I don’t want that.”

Chuck let out a slow breath. It had been too much to expect that Raleigh would just go for it. “Fair enough. But if you change your mind, will you let me know?”

Raleigh nodded just as Mako entered the room.

“Am I interrupting something?”

Chuck shook his head, aware he needed to figure things out, and fast, maybe even change his strategy entirely. “No. We haven’t ordered dinner – did you want in or did you eat while you were out?” 

“You two go ahead,” Mako said. “I was hungry and craving fish and chips –“

“Mako, you’re evil,” Raleigh said promptly. “Now you’ve made me want them.”

She smiled serenely and finished her sentence with “- and chocolate bubble tea.”

Chuck made a face. “I’ll skip the bubble tea. No rationing in the UK, I take it?”

Mako shook her head. “None that I saw, but you’d better hurry if you want to get food from the same place I did; they close at 2100.”

_“Two of the Heroes of the Breach made a surprise appearance at one of London’s top fish and chips spots just before closing last night: Chuck Hansen and Raleigh Becket. According to sources, Chuck refuses to use a wheelchair unless it’s necessary, which may delay his recovery, so it was no surprise when they showed up that Chuck was leaning heavily on Raleigh. Chuck looked to be in good spirits despite still wearing two casts – one on his right arm and one on his left calf. The two rangers were reportedly teasing each other over potato terminology as they ordered, and graciously signed autographs for the patrons and staff of the restaurant before leaving.”_

_“Potato terminology, Lucy?”_

_Lucy looked at her co-host and nodded. “Amy, the debate was French fries versus fries versus chips versus crisps, I’m told. Chuck Hansen is Australian, and Raleigh Becket is American, and there is a difference in the slang between the two countries.”_

_Lucy smiled brightly. “I just learned something. Anything else, Amy?”_

_“Lucy, the two jaeger pilots acted like old friends, which puts rumors of a fight over fellow ranger and Raleigh’s copilot, Mako Mori, to rest.”_

_“Good to hear that. You’re watching Extra! Stay tuned for tonight’s clip of the day.”_


	6. Chapter 6

Raleigh was in the middle of the two beds of their hotel room, methodically doing pushups, working off his frustration and anger. They’d been hustled out of their London hotel room and driven to Paris for a brief magazine interview through a translator. Raleigh had gotten mad at the translator, who’d been rephrasing their words to soften what they were saying, and ripped her for her efforts in flawless French. His tirade – and the hastily reorganized interview that followed, with Raleigh acting as translator – had resulted their losing the window to eat lunch somewhere, as they’d originally planned, since someone had failed to calculate the travel time between Paris and Amsterdam and they were going to be late for their next interview. They’d been forced to eat on the way to Amsterdam in the limo – cold, soggy sandwiches none of them had wanted to consume but had anyway for the fuel they contained – and put in a hotel room that was smaller than what they’d been accustomed to using. Upon arrival, the interview they’d rushed to meet had been rescheduled at the last minute, since a five-alarm warehouse fire apparently counted for bigger news than they were. Chuck was as annoyed as his companions, but glancing at Mako, he realized something else was wrong.

“Problem, Mako?” Mako was hugging her stomach, and pacing the floor of their hotel room.

She hesitated, and Chuck knew instantly it had to be something she considered a private matter.

“Mako, you’ve seen us naked,” he felt obliged to point out, “and we’ve been aware of each other’s bodily functions for nearly two months now since we gave up on separate rooms.”

“Bad cramps,” she explained. For a moment, English failed her and she resorted to Japanese to say, “I’m on my period.”

“Want some of my painkillers?”

Mako hesitated. “I am afraid if I take one, I will fall asleep and bleed on the bed. It is very heavy this time. I would go out and get some more supplies, but I am afraid to leave.”

Raleigh stopped doing pushups and sat up. “Then we’ll put a towel down under you and get one of our security to get you some heavy pads. In the meantime, park yourself in the bathroom if it’s that bad; you don’t want to do laundry if you’re feeling like this. I’m not even sure if this hotel has guest laundry.”

Chuck eyed him strangely, wondering how he’d know, before he remembered Raleigh had had a sister. “Did you do this a lot for your sister?” Chuck asked.

“Jaz started her period after our mom died and our dad took off,” Raleigh said casually. “Imagine three teenagers in a grocery store desperately trying to figure out what to buy at 1 AM in the morning, and getting questioned because they thought we were trying to steal it.”

“In that case, Raleigh, would you please talk to Isabel and ask her?” Mako asked, referring to the female on their security team who often accompanied her. “Chuck, Raleigh, I’m going to be in the tub with the shower curtain pulled. If you need to use the toilet –”

“We’ll figure it out,” Chuck hastened to assure her. She looked in pain.

Raleigh hugged her gently before exiting the room to speak to their security; Mako immediately hurried to the bathroom. Twenty minutes later, Raleigh returned with a package of heavy-duty sanitary napkins, some non-aspirin pain reliever, and a hot pad. After pausing to fish underwear out of Mako’s suitcase, Raleigh stepped into the bathroom to turn over his purchases to Mako. He emerged with a couple of towels and the now-unwrapped heating pad, rolled the covers back on the bed Chuck wasn’t occupying, and spread the towels just past the center. He then returned to the bathroom with the pot from the coffeemaker, filled it with water, exited the bathroom, and started heating the pot.

In that moment, Chuck fell in love with Raleigh. Swallowing past the sudden surge of emotion, Chuck managed, “How are you going to fill that hot pad? If you heat it up too much, it’ll be too hot to touch.”

“Which is why you’re going to help me,” Raleigh said, passing over the ice bucket and the hot pad. “Here, fill it halfway with ice, and then I’ll pour.” He handed over two face towels Chuck hadn’t realized he’d also taken from the bathroom, giving Chuck some protection against the heat of the pad.

It took some wrangling, but the two men managed to fill the hot pad so that it was full and comfortably warm to the touch.

Mako exited the bathroom, looking calmer if still in pain. She’d taken the time to shower while Raleigh was gone. “Sorry,” she apologized as she laid down on the bed Raleigh had prepared.

“What for?” Chuck leaned over to pass the hot pad to her. “For being a woman? Thought Stacker taught you never to apologize for that.”

Mako laughed a little hollowly at that. “Some days, it is easier to do that than others.”

Deliberately, Raleigh steered the conversation to something less emotionally fraught. “Want to see if Dutch nighttime TV is any worse than what we’ve seen so far?” he asked, picking up the remote.

Chuck laughed. “What, are we playing the language game again? How many languages do you speak, anyway, Raleigh?”

“French, Japanese, and English,” he replied, turning on the TV and immediately turning down the sound. “Anything else is debatable these days. You?”

“Japanese, thanks to Mako, and Russian,” Chuck replied. “My Cantonese's for shit, but I can at least make sure we don’t get lost in the Bone Slums. Unless,” he added with a grin, “we wanted to.”

“Japanese, English of course, Russian, and Cantonese,” Mako said. “Though I had no idea American was so much different until we Drifted, Raleigh.”

“Thought you were multilingual,” Chuck noted, “after being raised by a Brit and spending time talking to my old man and me.”

Mako laughed, and there was that laugh Chuck had been aiming for, the one that was so free of worry. Chuck glanced at Raleigh and caught the American’s nod of approval.

_MAKO MORI PREGNANT? Sources say Raleigh Becket was seen in an Amsterdam drugstore, buying a pregnancy test! Could this be the sign that their romance has been consummated? Poor Chuck – that’s twice now that Mako’s turned him down! Will this be the time he learns he’s not destined to have her heart?_

\- _The Star Weekly Online_


	7. Chapter 7

“Good morning, and welcome to _Today,_ ” the Dutch morning-show host greeted. “I’m Yaron Zuurmond. With us today are PPDC Rangers Mako Mori, Raleigh Becket, and Chuck Hansen, who together with the late Marshal Stacker Pentecost, defeated the kaiju threat and closed the Breach. Ranger Mori, our sympathies to you on the loss of your father.”

Mako nodded tightly. They’d figured out that any interview that led with that kind of statement could go into a ‘hard hitting’ analysis of the events of and leading up to Operation Pitfall, or to a softer, fluffier piece. Silently, she hoped it was the latter. Last night, Chuck had been restless, Raleigh had been worried about the upcoming visit to the American base, and she wanted nothing more than to pretend she didn’t have a heavier than normal menstrual cycle. If it didn't end soon, they'd have to find her a doctor, and that was the last thing she wanted to do.

Still, Raleigh’s efforts had made her relax enough to stop fretting over whether she’d get through the next few days with her dignity intact. Chuck had surprised her, too; she’d forgotten just how incredibly nice he could be, once you got past his defense mechanisms. It was getting harder to pretend he wasn’t someone she’d once kissed, or that the girl she’d been had dreamed of killing kaiju with him by her side. In a way, she’d gotten her wish for the latter, if not precisely like how she’d dreamed. Mako prided herself on her practicality, but there'd been a few mornings when she had woken up to find Chuck curled around her, and it made her yearn for more.

With an effort, Mako refocused her attention on the interview. Later would be time enough to consider how she felt about the two men in her life; now, she had to be prepared for the worst.

“Miss Mori, I understand you were not originally slated to be one of the original candidates to be Gipsy Danger’s newest pilot.”

Mako nodded. “That is correct. However, it is not unusual for a senior pilot to decide who he wants to have as his pilot, regardless of who has been recommended to him.”

“Mr. Becket, you hadn’t piloted in five years. What made you choose Miss Mori, above candidates who were screened to fit your specific requirements?”

Raleigh smiled. “Sometimes you just make a connection with someone.”

“Even if that was the sole criteria,” Chuck interjected, “the records still had to show that Mako and Raleigh had neurally compatible scores, which they did. Marshal Pentecost wouldn’t have allowed Mako to try a kwoon match against Raleigh without the neural compatibility scores. Physical compatibility and ‘I want this person’ are not the only reasons why pilots are chosen to be together. If ‘wanting to be with this person’ was the only reason, my old man and I would’ve never climbed into the same jaeger.”

“You didn’t want your own father to be your copilot?” Yaron asked, surprised.

Mako glanced at Chuck; she thought that was an old, well-known fact. 

“Not everyone wanted a fam member as a copilot,” Chuck returned evenly. “I was one of them. I was sixteen, mate. What sixteen-year-old wants his dad to know everything about him?”

“Despite this, you still allowed it,” the interviewer noted.

“Well,” Chuck drawled, “I wanted Raleigh Becket, but he still had a copilot back then, and the next best candidate wasn’t someone I liked. They needed pilots for Striker Eureka, and Down Under really wanted a pair of Aussies in their jaeger.”

Yaron didn’t smile, clearly thwarted. He then turned to Raleigh, seeing him as the less-knowledgeable of the three. “Based on what you knew to be true, would you have switched pilots?”

Raleigh shook his head. “No. I’d heard Chuck liked my jaeger better than Lucky Seven, but – my brother and I were really close, and we had one of the highest Drift compatibility scores at the time. As it was, I couldn’t imagine Drifting with anyone else. Now, I’m glad I was proven wrong.” Raleigh’s smile was slipping, Mako noted as she glanced at him, and that wasn’t a good sign. She slid her hand in his, gripping it slightly.

“Because you fell in love with your copilot?”

Mako wanted to hit someone. “You make it sound like doing so would be tawdry and wrong. How is it so? We are not allowed to be human, to feel emotion for someone?”

“Well, of course you are,” Yaron replied, but his tone indicated otherwise. “Many are interested in your relationship, since we have not had a non-familial jaeger pilot pair in some time.”

“Then you’ve completely forgotten about the pilots of Matador Fury,” Mako shot back, furious. “They died last year, or was their status as ex-convicts reason to forget they weren’t related?”

The look Yaron gave her said it had been precisely that. “Miss Mori, if you hadn’t been adopted by Stacker Pentecost, would you have still joined the PPDC?”

“Given the state of the world, I am sure I would have, by any means I could. I wanted to kill the kaiju for killing my family.”

“So you were motivated by vengeance.”

“So was I,” Chuck cut in, annoyed. “I was ten years old when Scissure hit Sydney. Mako and I weren’t alone in being jaeger pilots who wanted vengeance on the kaiju – half the jaeger pilots I knew had similar reasons.”

“The thing was,” Raleigh added, “you couldn’t be motivated by vengeance alone. You had to want something bigger, or the psychologists would cut you from the program.”

The talk show host sat back, clearly startled by the turn of events. “So what was your motivation, Mr. Becket?”

Raleigh smiled disarmingly. “I wanted to be a superhero, like the guys in the comics my brother and I read.”

“A superhero? Surely, that kind of motivation would be detrimental.”

“Sure,” Raleigh agreed. “I thought my brother was immortal.” His smile invited comment, and Mako hid a grin. Her copilot had a razor charm, laser sharpened for situations like this. “Now I have his brain mixed in with me, and so a part of me was right, in a way.”

The interviewer’s eyes narrowed; this wasn’t going the way he’d planned. “Mr. Hansen, you survived a nuclear blast with very little side effects. Can you tell us how you managed that?”

“I was in a state of the art escape pod before the bomb was detonated,” Chuck replied. “I’m banged up because I was too busy fighting being in it in the first place and the blast force tossed me around.”

“So you agree you wanted to die with your copilot?” the interviewer seized on the opportunity.

“I agree you’re an asshole,” Chuck said with a smile. “I’m a jaeger pilot. Death wishes don’t belong in a conn-pod, not if you want to survive. I didn’t want my copilot to die, Mr. Zuurmond, even if he blew up a kaiju and severely wounded another in the process.”

“You wanted the kill score,” the interviewer surmised.

“Like I said in New York, final count belongs to Raleigh,” Chuck growled. “What matters more is that the kaiju aren’t coming back anytime soon. Which would you rather have – us trying desperately to kill the kaiju –”

“– or us sitting here, with no kaiju threat on the immediate horizon?” Raleigh finished. “Because from where I’m sitting, you weren’t there fighting with us. You were comfortably a thousand miles away, watching it on TV like it was a curious show. The kaiju meant to annihilate us.” Gone was the eager, shallow-minded puppy, who wanted to share his excitement over winning with the world; in its place was an attack dog.

Mako didn’t dare look at either of them, knowing that if she did, she was either going to say something she’d regret or confess just how proud she was of them in that moment. Instead, she kept her gaze focused on Yaron, who looked astonished that Raleigh and Chuck were annoyed. How could they not be, after all these loaded questions?

“I’ve spent half my life either fighting kaiju or wanting to fight kaiju,” Chuck added. “Mako oversaw the rebuilding of a jaeger so we could keep fighting when the UN abandoned the world. Stacker Pentecost found funding to keep us going. Hell, Raleigh came back and risked Drifting with someone new, when he’d spent five years convinced he couldn’t do that with someone else.” Chuck leaned in for the kill. “You want to know why? It’s because we all believed in a greater cause than vengeance. It was called save the fucking planet because we could and it was the right thing to do. Even if it means that we saved people who’d rather believe we were adrenaline junkies, or suicidal, or wasting the world’s money.”

Yaron hastily retreated after that. In the town car after the interview, Mako looked at Chuck.

“Thanks for stepping in,” she said gratefully.

“You looked like you wanted to cry in frustration,” he noted. “Cramps still?”

“Some, yes,” she agreed.

“When we get back to the room, we’ll set you up again like we did last night,” Chuck told her. “Our flight out’s not until late, so you can crash in and we’ll pack for you.”

Mako could have kissed him then. Impulsively, she gave him a one-armed hug, which, to her surprise, he returned. “Thank you.”

“You mean I’ll do the packing,” Raleigh corrected, but he was smiling, and Mako knew he was only teasing to lighten the mood, not objecting to the task.


	8. Chapter 8

The last time Chuck had been in a civilian emergency room, he’d been eight years old, and he'd nearly fractured his right hand when his mom had accidentally slammed the car door on it. From the way Raleigh kept pacing the waiting room, Chuck suspected that his last memories of being in a civilian ER were far less ordinary – and that didn’t even count the fact that, post-Knifehead, Raleigh had been triaged at a civilian hospital before being transported to the Shatterdome. Both of them ignored the four PPDC security guards who’d essentially, drawn a perimeter around them and blocked any of the civilians waiting in the ER from approaching. 

“You’re making me toey,” Chuck finally said.

“Huh?” 

“Nervous,” Chuck translated, belatedly remembering that as good as Raleigh was at interpreting what he meant, Raleigh had more difficulty doing so when he was stressed.

“Sorry.” Raleigh collapsed himself into the chair next to Chuck. “Just...she scared me.”

“Me too, mate. I tend to think of Mako as being a bit indestructible, but she was in so much pain by the time we got back to the pub.”

Raleigh nodded, then sat up straighter when a nurse stepped out of the ER admitting area and headed in their direction. “Mr. Becket? Mr. Hansen? Ms. Mori is asking for you. This way, please.”

They followed her into the triage area. Mako lay on a patient bed. “Sorry, Chuck. I know you wanted your casts off.”

He shook his head. “I heal slowly anyway. So what’s the verdict?”

“The doctor thinks a uterine fibroid, maybe nothing, could be…” Mako hesitated, bit her lip. “Cancerous,” she finished.

Raleigh grasped her hand. “You’ll be fine. So they want to take it out?”

Mako nodded. “From what the doctor said from the ultrasound, it’s not very big, but it’s what’s causing me to bleed so much and be in pain. She said it would ordinarily be an outpatient procedure, but since we’re traveling and I helped saved the world, she’ll take care of me.”

“Well, at least someone’s grateful,” Chuck pointed out roughly. He hated seeing her like this, and suspected it was worse for Raleigh. In that moment, standing beside the older man, Chuck could see how much Raleigh loved her – not as a lover, but as his _copilot,_ which Chuck had always understood to be something equally deep and intangible.

Mako smiled, but it was clear she was still in pain. “I’ve asked the doctor if you two could stay with me until they take me to surgery. If you’d rather go ahead to Germany –“

“Fuck Germany,” Raleigh said forcefully. “They can fucking wait. You’re more important.”

“Frank said he contacted the marshal and the head of PR,” Chuck said, referring to their head of security. “Everything’s been rescheduled, pending how long you’re here. So, what are you waiting on? Our permission? Because it’s your body.”

“I know,” Mako said. “But.” She took a deep breath. “These are things that I would normally discuss with my father, but you are my copilot and my oldest friend, and I have no one else to verify that I am doing the right thing.”

Startled, Chuck looked at her, realizing abruptly that she’d always drawn strength from Stacker’s insistence on being firm with his decisions. Raleigh, to his credit, rose to the challenge.

“So what happens if you put off this surgery?” Raleigh asked.

“I stay in pain; the fibroid or whatever it is grows larger, and I could continue to bleed.”

“And you’re asking us to make sure you’re doing the right thing? Mako, are you in that much pain that you’re doubting yourself?” Chuck asked.

She offered a weak smile. “Yes?”

Chuck looked at Raleigh. “I say yes. You’re her copilot; you have her medical authority, mate.” 

Raleigh kissed her cheek. “Yes, Mako. Do I need to sign anything?”

“I don’t think so, but the doctor said to have a nurse page her when I was ready.” Mako pressed the nurse call button on her bed. 

As it turned out, they whisked Mako off to surgery and brought the electronic paperwork to Raleigh to fill out while he and Chuck waited back in the waiting room. Raleigh filled it out as best as he could; the Drift could give someone a ton of lifestory in milliseconds, but it wasn’t perfect.

Seeing him hesitate over some of the check boxes, Chuck said, “You have Mako’s wallet, yeah?”

Raleigh pulled the small, wallet-sized purse Mako carried and handed it over to Chuck, who quickly thumbed through the cards to find the one he wanted. Emblazoned with the PPDC logo, it was a combination medical insurance card and electronic medical history authorization. “Hand them this with that tablet; they should be able to get what they need off that.”

“Was wondering what that was; they didn’t have that before,” Raleigh said gratefully, taking it and going to give the information to the registration clerk.

Chuck chose not to mention that Raleigh was the precise reason the cards had been created in the first place. Prior to Knifehead, the assumption had always been that if a pilot needed medical care, he or she would find it at any Shatterdome, free of charge, since all of the Shatterdome clinics had been set up as if they were combat theatre medical wards, which meant they could provide the best level care in a compact space. When Raleigh had staggered out of Gipsy, shattered and bleeding, the PPDC had been searching for him for hours, with no clue as to where he’d gone. In light of that, all pilots had been issued the new medical ID cards, which informed the treating facility what they needed to know.

Raleigh returned a few minutes later. “Thanks. That saved the nurse a ton of typing, apparently,” he said, tucking Mako’s card back into her purse, then sliding the purse back into a pocket of his cargo pants. “So, what do you want to do? It’s going to be a few hours at least.”

“Well,” Chuck considered, then he saw a little boy, trying to see past Frank’s burly form. 

Raleigh followed Chuck’s gaze, then grinned. “Hey, Frank, okay if we sign a few autographs, maybe talk to that kid over there?”

Frank looked over his shoulder. “A few,” he said. “Then you two are finding the cafeteria and getting something to eat.”

Chuck glared at him. “I hate you,” he muttered. “I wasn’t thinking of my stomach until you said something.”

Frank grinned; he’d been a twenty-something, fresh from the Canadian military, newly-minted PPDC-security officer when Chuck had first met him, and Chuck knew he’d given the man hell when he was a kid. It meant, as far as both Hansens were concerned, that there was no one better to lead their security detail. It also meant that Frank knew Chuck well enough to know that he tended to push off eating.

“Then you’d better give that little boy what he’s asking for then, and hurry so they don’t hear your stomach growling,” Frank said blandly, and stepped aside.

The little boy’s eyes went wide. “What happened to you?” he asked, running up to Chuck and then stopping, just short of touching distance.

“My jaeger went boom,” Chuck said; the boy looked to be about six, maybe seven at the most. 

“Did you kill the kaiju?” he asked eagerly.

“Yes,” Chuck said, well aware of what his audience wanted to hear. “Did you have a favorite jaeger?”

The boy nodded. “But it wasn’t yours, Mr. Hansen. Is that okay?”

“Depends,” Chuck said, winking at the boy. “Which one was it?”

“I liked the red one with the three arms,” he said shyly.

“Don’t tell anyone I said this, but I liked that one too,” Chuck replied. 

“My mommy tripped over the cat,” the boy announced. “She fell down hard and made a big crash. Then she said things I can't say. You don’t like cats, do you?”

“No, because I have a bulldog,” Chuck told him, lips twitching as he fought not to smile.

The boy nodded his understanding. “I hope my mommy gets better soon.”

His beleaguered-looking father came up to them then. “Sorry to bother you, Ranger Hansen. Come on, Peter.” Then he noticed Raleigh, hanging slightly back, and his eyes went wide. “Ranger Becket?”

Raleigh stepped forward. “Yes?”

“I just…I wanted to thank you both. For everything you’ve done.” The man looked awkward.

If Chuck hadn’t seen Raleigh shift from his usual self to the public mask of easy charm and affability before, he might’ve been startled at how quickly Raleigh put it on. As it was, Chuck was hard-pressed to bite back a comment. 

“I, I saw your interview yesterday. He wasn’t a fan of the Jaeger Program, in case it wasn’t obvious.”

“He’s not the first to voice that opinion,” Raleigh said easily. “Probably won’t be the last.”

“If one of those kaiju appeared offshore here, we wouldn’t know what to do, and he’d be the first to demand a jaeger,” the man said.

Raleigh smiled politely. “What’s your name, sir?”

“Janiek Arnoldussen, and this is my son, Peter.”

Raleigh shook hands with them as Chuck did the same. “Pleased to meet you. Is there anything we can do for you?”

Janiek shook his head. “No, you’re here for personal reasons. It’s my pleasure to meet both of you. Come on, Peter.”

No one else came forward; Janiek’s words seemed to set the tone. Pleased with the outcome, Frank and his fellow officers shepherded Raleigh and Chuck to the hospital cafeteria.

“Verdict?” Raleigh asked a few minutes later as they ate what was supposed to be meatballs and noodles in a brown gravy.

“Looks and tastes like dog food,” Chuck said. “But I’m hungry enough not to care.”

“Agreed.”

Frank interrupted their methodical eating to let them know that they would be allowed to sit in the surgical waiting room. The space turned out to be small – just big enough for twelve people – but it had two chairs that were separated by a corner table. Raleigh pulled out a battered plastic case. “War or blackjack?” he asked Chuck. “Since I know better than to suggest poker with another jaeger pilot.”

Chuck laughed; poker games between jaeger pilots were the stuff of legend, especially involving pilots who’d jockeyed before Knifehead. Everyone played to win, bet lavishly, and cheating was often alleged and settled in the kwoon. “War first, then blackjack,” Chuck agreed. “If we had two more, I’d suggest euchre.”

Raleigh shook his head. “Yancy and I played that against your dad and your uncle while we were waiting for our next orders after Manila. I know where you learned, so no.”

Chuck barked out a laugh as Raleigh started dealing the worn deck. “Afraid I’d beat you?”

“No,” Raleigh corrected, grinning. “I’d rather try to beat you at something fair.”

Unlike the general waiting room, the other people waiting seemed to recognize that they were waiting for a friend, and did not want to be bothered. 

Raleigh didn’t seem inclined to talk much as they played, and Chuck respected his silence. Still, Chuck found himself with a rare opportunity. “If you hadn’t already picked Mako out, who would’ve you gone with, out of the candidates you saw?” Chuck asked.

“Probably the guy who didn’t look at me as his consolation prize in order to get into a jaeger.” Raleigh picked up a card. “Who were you supposed to go with?”

“A guy from Panama,” Chuck said. “I liked him up until he started talking shit about Scott. I know what my rellie did, and I hate him for it, but family’s family.”

“Which,” Raleigh noted, “you might’ve let go if it weren’t for…”

Chuck laughed. “Know me that well already? Yeah, well, he didn’t believe bisexuality existed, either.”

Raleigh winced. “Which meant that if you’d been paired with him, he would’ve had to readjust his prejudices or get out of the jaeger.”

Chuck nodded. “I thought I could handle that, but when he found out that the brass was offering me the newest, fastest jaeger if I was willing to Drift with my old man – Mathías suddenly got weird. He accused me of stringing him along, that he should’ve known that I would’ve used my name as leverage to get the best jaeger.”

“Did he ever get into a jaeger?” Raleigh wondered.

“Not that I’m aware of,” Chuck said with a shrug. “He made the mistake of making that accusation where other people could overhear.” 

“Ouch,” Raleigh said. “Did he stick around in the PPDC?”

“Last I knew, he was working out of Lima as a drivesuit tech, and dreaming of the day he’d have a jaeger. I was a little surprised he wasn’t among the candidates for you.”

“Just because I prefer one gender,” Raleigh replied, “doesn’t mean I don’t notice the other.”

“Ah,” Chuck said, and realized that Raleigh probably had picked up his brother’s preferences as well. Drift with someone for long enough, Chuck knew, and it was easy to forget who originally liked what. He knew that there were things he liked that he’d personally never experienced – and wished, sometimes, that he’d had the chance to discover them for himself, without his father’s memories to guide the way.

“You realize,” Chuck switched topics, “Mako is not going to want to stay put and do nothing if they release her this afternoon.”

Raleigh nodded. “She’s going to have to, though. I remember when my mom had a hysterectomy; she was sore for days.”

Chuck was quiet for a moment. “You grew up in a world without kaiju. Did you ever think we’d win?”

“Never really thought that much about it,” Raleigh replied. “Was a little too busy enjoying myself and living in the moment.”

Chuck nodded as Raleigh started to deal the next hand of blackjack.

Three hours later, Mako was out of surgery. By this time, Chuck and Raleigh had run through several rounds of War and blackjack. (Raleigh, Chuck decided, was a vicious card shark; then again, he should’ve suspected as much when he carried a set of cards in a battered plastic case.)

The doctor came out to brief them. “Mako is doing well,” she told them. “We removed a fibroid about an inch in diameter. We’ll do some testing on it and we’ll email her the results in a few days, but I don’t think we have anything to worry about. It’s just something she’ll need to keep eye on in the future. She’ll be ready to travel in 48 – 72 hours but she may still be sore, so it really depends on her. No strenuous exercise for the next two days. Please make sure she drinks plenty of liquids and eats regularly. I’ll prescribe some painkillers and once she’s out of recovery, you three can be on your way.”

“Thanks, Doctor,” Raleigh told her, sounding as relieved as Chuck felt.

 

_CAUGHT IN THE ACT – Mako Mori was seen stretched out on the floor of an airport lounge, her head in copilot Raleigh Becket’s lap, napping, as Raleigh and fellow Ranger Chuck Hansen chatted like the old friends they’ve become. The trio was also spied exiting an Amsterdam hospital, where Mako underwent what the PPDC is calling a routine procedure. Here’s hoping she has a speedy recovery! – People online_


	9. Chapter 9

“Congrats on the additional funding,” Chuck told his father at their regularly scheduled check-in call, after Herc had explained the details.

Herc nodded; he looked exhausted. Chuck did the time-zone calculation in his head and realized it was just past 1800 in Hong Kong. “Are you sleeping at all, old man?”

Herc grimaced. “Not that old. Had a conference call with Lily Piper and her French banker at 0100 my time so Lily could be at a comfortable hour in her time zone. Videoconferencing might be cheaper than flying, but it’s hell on the body. You know I can’t sleep once I’m up at that hour. Yesterday, it was Dame Wallis, and it was even earlier.”

Chuck winced sympathetically. “You gave Max his evening walk?”

“Gonna do that and turn in,” Herc assured his son, hearing the unspoken question. One side effect of having to do the check-in calls was that they actually had to talk instead of relying on some future Drift. “I see you’re in a soft cast. How are you healing?”

“Lost ten percent of my range of motion in my elbow,” Chuck told him. “I should be farther along in my healing, but –”

“You’re generally healthy, but anything that knocks out of commission tends to take you out hard,” Herc said. “You got your mum’s immunity and healing speed. They give you vitamins and exercises?”

Chuck nodded. “Along with the prescription that I should quit traveling and not be so picky about what I’m eating.” He grimaced; he’d been worried about weight gain due to his relative lack of physical inactivity, and he’d been told he should eat more, especially dairy products, because his body was burning more energy to heal.

“You don’t have to stick this out just because –”

“And leave Mako to deal with Raleigh’s nightmares alone? Or Raleigh to have to deal with the way Mako gets quiet and won’t talk if she’s really pissed off? Not all of the interviews we’ve had have been the fluff pieces we thought they’d be. Nevermind that Mako’s back to trying to prove she’s healed enough to do normal things.”

Herc studied his son, a knowing light in his gaze. “Is that all?”

Chuck fidgeted. For a moment, he’d forgotten his father had been his copilot for six years; there was nothing Herc didn’t know about how deep Chuck’s feelings for Mako ran – or how Chuck’s crush on Raleigh wasn’t new. As a general rule, Chuck kept his feelings to himself, so even mentioning that he wanted to stay and help someone was significant. Chuck hadn’t meant to let it slip how he felt about Mako and Raleigh. 

“No, but it’s all you’re getting, old man,” Chuck finally retorted in his defense.

Herc grinned. “Good to see you’re getting along, son,” but the way he said it, Chuck knew they’d have a talk about this later. Silently, Chuck was hoping it was much, much later. “Speaking of, where’s Raleigh and Mako?”

“In the mess hall, eating lunch with the brass. I should go and eat something before I lose out. Wanted to catch you before it was too late your time. They want us to address the troops this afternoon before they let us go.” Chuck grimaced; he’d been hoping they would just take off his hard casts and send him on his way, but no, he’d spent the morning stuck in a patient room while they took MRIs, reviewed the results, and then put him in a lighter-weight walking cast and wrapped his arm in an Ace bandage. 

“Thanks for calling, son. I’ll send you more details about the funding plan in email. Make sure Raleigh sees it? He’s not replying to email.”

“He hasn’t opened his phone the entire time we’ve been on this tour,” Chuck told his father, amused. “He claims he’s out of the habit of using one, but I’m beginning to think he forgot the password.”

Herc laughed. “I’ll send instructions to Mako to reset it. If I send it you, he might get annoyed at you.”

Chuck considered. “Maybe not,” he told his father. “We’ve been getting along really well.” He wasn’t about to tell his father just how well, or that he found himself deliberately alternating whose bed he shared. Neither of them had mentioned that he’d become stealth cuddler in his sleep, but he’d woken up tangled around both of them enough times to know that was exactly the case.

“I’ll copy you on it, then. Let him know I expect him to read his own email from now on.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Love you, son,” Herc said, his expression softening from what Chuck had come to think of as his ‘marshal’ mode to ‘dad.’ Chuck had gotten used to seeing it in the weeks since the tour started; the brief stay he’d had in the Shatterdome’s medical clinic had revealed that Herc genuinely wanted to stop feeling guilty that he wasn’t more open with his feelings. As much as Chuck wanted to pretend that he didn’t need the verbalization, he was equally aware that he’d spent a hell of a lot of effort and energy looking for it in their shared Drift. Still, articulating his love for his father was difficult; the words still stuck in his throat. Herc smiled his understanding and disconnected the line. 

Picking up the crutch he’d been using in lieu of leaning on Raleigh, Chuck hobbled his way out of the side room he’d commandeered to use for his call and into the mess hall. 

* * *

“Good evening, and welcome to _CNN Headline News,_ ” the news veteran greeted. “Three of the Heroes of the Breach made a brief appearance before US military troops today in Berlin after a stop three days ago in Amsterdam. It is reported that Chuck Hansen is now wearing a soft cast on his wrist, and a lightweight walking cast for his leg. The Australian jaeger pilot suffered serious injuries from his escape pod in last month’s Operation Pitfall, which closed the Breach against the kaiju threat. Mako Mori and Raleigh Becket are also said to be healing well. Marshal Hercules Hansen, who was previously injured in a battle in Hong Kong, has recovered.

“In related news, the PPDC reports that the Breach has remained quiet. Omega Envoy recently completed a mission to replace sensors that were damaged during Operation Pitfall. A consortium of backers, including American shipping heiress Lily Piper, Chinese exporter Shi Niu, and led by international star and humanitarian Dame Kathryn Wallis, have pledged funding support to the PPDC for the next five years. The PPDC has also signed a contract with the Chinese government to use Omega Envoy in its Hong Kong reconstruction efforts.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ~~Hope to have the next chapter up this weekend.~~ :-) Thanks for all the kudos and comments so far!


	10. Chapter 10

“Can you give me a hand with this, Raleigh?” Chuck asked, pointing to the soft cast on his arm, as he got ready to shower that evening in their hotel room. It was a blatant excuse to get Raleigh’s hands on him; he could undo the clips himself, but he wanted the interaction. He particularly liked the way Raleigh took the time to massage his arm and leg, making sure his circulation was good before he attempted to stand. He’d stripped down to his briefs, mostly because he didn’t like sitting down bare-assed. “Still gonna need you to help me balance, I think.”

“You’ll want the one on your leg off first,” Mako pointed out. “Sit down, and we’ll get this.”

Chuck nodded, and took a seat on the bed nearest the bathroom. Mako knelt and undid the straps holding his walking cast as Raleigh deftly undid the spring clips holding the soft cast on his arm. Together, the two pilots assisted him into the bathroom, taking advantage of the fact they’d been given the disabled-accessible room and its wider doorways.

Chuck glanced at Raleigh, who was unusually silent for the time of day. The business-like way he and Mako handled things – a return to the way they’d done things, back when they’d started the tour – screamed that something was wrong. “Everything all right, mate?”

Raleigh pressed his lips together and gave a small shake. “Sorry.”

“Think you can handle me?” Chuck asked Mako, realizing why she’d taken most of his weight.

“I should be able to. Go on, Raleigh; we’ll be finished in twenty,” Mako told her copilot, who looked grateful, and quickly left the bathroom, shutting the door.

They both heard him exit the room seconds later and the muffled sounds of one of their security team talking to Raleigh. No doubt, Chuck thought, Raleigh was headed to the hotel’s exercise room to clear his head. Mako looked resigned, but they’d all accepted that Raleigh needed the freedom to do precisely that more than he needed to discuss what was troubling him.

Chuck looked around the shower stall and realized that there was a fold-down bench installed on one side. The shower head hung on a hook that looked like it slid down a rod installed into the space between the incoming water pipe and the tub faucet. “If you get me onto that bench, I think I can manage most of this.”

“Okay,” she agreed, and assisted Chuck with his request. She also reached up and grabbed the hand-held shower off its post and handed it to Chuck. She then quickly undressed, setting her clothes in a neat pile at the edge of the bathroom vanity. “Even with the shower as it is, you’ll want my help. Be easier if I’m not worried about getting wet.”

“You up to doing this?” Chuck asked.

Mako nodded. “It’s been four days since my surgery, Chuck. My bleeding has stopped and I am feeling much better.” A mischievous smile on her lips, she asked, “Not interested in warming up the water for my hot water bottle?”

“Not if you don’t need it.” He smiled and she pretended disappointment before grinning widely.

Chuck hadn’t seen Mako naked since they were both thirteen. His gaze lingered on her soft curves and finely shaped strength, automatically noting the differences and remembering how they’d learned what sex was from each other. They’d been precocious children, he remembered, but the girl she’d been had been softer, not yet tempered by jaeger training and exercise.

Mako caught his stare, and teased lightly, “Like what you see?”

Chuck laughed shortly and tried to control his reaction, abruptly aware that she’d grown up into a beautiful, desirable woman. “I’d be less of a bloke if I didn’t. You’ve always been pretty, Mako.” 

“Flattery will not get you into my bed any sooner.” She unwrapped a bar of hotel soap and brought it with her along with a bottle of hotel shampoo before stepping into the shower stall and turning on the water. She grinned before adding, “But it is appreciated.”

Chuck laughed. “Noted.”

At her gesture, he agreed on the water temperature. “I can do most of me from here if you’re willing to trade off water and soap.”

Mako nodded and handed over the soap. “I’ll get your leg, your back, and your arm.” 

“Thought you didn’t want to see me like this, so I didn’t think you’d be willing to help me,” Chuck said after a few minutes. “It’s why I usually asked Raleigh to help me shower.”

Mako made an impatient sound. “Only because I thought you weren’t comfortable. You and I have had too much history together for me to think you’d change just because you almost died.”

Chuck laughed shortly. “I’m trying, Mako. You’ve always been hard to impress.”

Mako laughed softly at that. “Did you want your hair shampooed?”

“Please.” He ducked forward so she could get his hair wet and soaped. Not wanting to eat shampoo, he kept his mouth shut. 

“I am very glad that you and I aren’t fighting anymore,” she said as she rinsed his head off.

“Can I apologize now for giving you so much shit about having high scores and no jaeger?”

Grinning, Mako said, “As I told you then, I was building my jaeger.” 

Chuck laughed at that and took the bar of soap from her so could begin to soap the parts of himself he could reach. “I didn’t believe you at all. Thought for sure Stacker would put two newbies in it and call it a day.”

“He did not count on Raleigh to see who he wanted as his copilot.” Mako paused. “I should have warned Raleigh what he might see; I did not count on that memory to be that strong.”

“Mako, that memory made you.” Chuck made an impatient sound. “Of course it’s going to be strong. They should’ve let you run a Drift simulation first, not put you in a jaeger, with a LOCCENT that had faulty weapons overrides. Tendo told me afterwards that he found a circuit board that was supposed to have been replaced before your test started. Plus, you and Raleigh – your Drift was so strong we actually had to pull the power to the entire wing. That’s compatibility few of us ever had.”

Mako said nothing for a moment. “I couldn’t figure out,” she said carefully, “who disappointed you more that day – me for being so new, or Raleigh, because you’d looked up to him and thought he’d run.”

“You deserved better than a has-been, if you ever were going to jockey at all,” Chuck said fiercely. “Then you almost blew up LOCCENT and he couldn’t pull you back –” Chuck took a deep breath, remembering that sick feeling of dread. “I didn’t think either of you were ready.”

Mako nodded. “We weren’t,” she said honestly, her eyes meeting Chuck’s. “We should’ve been given a chance to sort ourselves out in a sim, like you said. But the way you reacted - it felt like there was more.”

Chuck closed his eyes briefly. “Yes. I got used to thinking you wouldn’t be a jaeger pilot. If you were a jaeger tech, there’d be at least one battler who’d think of me as someone other than an arrogant prick.” He doesn’t have to add _if I died fighting_ ; they both understand it’s implied.

“As if anyone could forget you, Chuck. You weren’t always that way all the time; nobody can be.”

“Mako, are you in love with me?” Chuck dared.

She shrugged philosophically. “In some ways, I never stopped,” she admitted. 

That made Chuck freeze. “What do you mean?”

Mako took the shower sprayer and set it on the floor of the shower so she could soap up Chuck’s leg. “ _Sensei_ told me once I couldn’t let go of anything I really wanted until I’d been proven, without a doubt, that I couldn’t have it. I look back at what we had and it feels as though that was a good reason why we fell in love then.”

“Because there was no one else around our age?” Chuck asked. “Raleigh thinks I’m still in love with you.”

“And are you?” She rinsed off his leg, then attended to his arm with the same thoroughness. 

“This is going to go down as the weirdest conversation I’ve ever had in a shower with someone,” Chuck warned. “But…I’m not sure. Part of me is like Raleigh – I’m in awe of you and I think who you’ve become – even before you stepped into a jaeger – is amazing. I mean, I don’t think I could’ve rebuilt a Mark III and negotiated all the suppliers and overseen the workers without pissing somebody off enough to kill the project. You grew up to be a real beaut, Mako, and I…” Chuck swallowed hard, realizing Raleigh had been right: he still loved her. This time, though, it was with the knowledge that she was now his equal, as capable of kicking ass on kaiju as he was. “I don’t want to fuck this up with wrong choices.” He reached out with his good arm, touching her arm and stilling her movement. “I don’t want to hurt you again, and I know I did with all the things I said.”

Mako smiled, forgiveness in her eyes. “You cleared a path for us, and you didn’t – as I feared you might – insist on staying with my father.”

Chuck looked at her, startled. “You…you knew he wanted to die in a jaeger.”

Mako nodded once. “Yes. Tamsin told me. She wanted me to know that the only reason he wasn’t still out there, fighting, was because he had me to think of.” More slowly, she added, “I knew one of the switches on the primary pilot’s side activated the escape pod. Your father insisted on wanting to save you; he came to me to ask how to wire it so you wouldn’t have a choice.”

Chuck took a shuddering breath; he should’ve known that after everything they’d been through, his father would’ve made such a move. Sometimes, it was too easy to see Herc as the career soldier and not the father who, in his own way, tried to do the right thing for his son. “I thought it was Stacker’s idea. We had just enough time before the kaiju would be on us to make a ten-second countdown before the bomb went off; that’s plenty of time to launch an escape pod. He told me he was doing it to honor a promise to my old man.” 

Mako leaned forward and kissed Chuck briefly. “I’m glad you’re here.”

Chuck smiled, tempted to press the issue, but he looked at her and knew now wasn’t the time. “But you don’t want more?”

“I don’t think I am ready for what that means. You want Raleigh more than you want me.”

“Am I that obvious?”

“Only to someone who’s been watching both of you the way I have,” Mako said. “Lean down and I will get your back.” 

Chuck blew out a breath and did as she requested, waiting until she’d rinsed him to sit up again. “Do you want him?”

Mako smiled. “It would be interesting,” she said, “but I don’t think it’s a good idea. We would drown each other.” She set the soap down where Chuck could reach it easily.

Chuck eyed her. “What do you mean?”

She took the shower sprayer from his hand and rinsed herself off. “Did you need me to help you with the rest of your body? Otherwise, I will get out and wait for you.”

“No, go ahead.” Appreciating that she’d given him the discretion to wash his genitals without her watching, he went ahead and did exactly that. “Drown…do you mean the way he looks at you like you’re queen of his universe? How is that a bad thing?”

“Because he’d cling to me like a life preserver if I let him,” Mako said as she dried herself off. “And he’d hate himself eventually for it, because he would feel it would be disrespectful of who we are.”

“Huh.” Chuck contemplated that a moment before asking, “How would you drown in him?”

Mako smiled. “You and your father barely spoke outside of the Drift before we started on this tour and you had to start reporting to him more,” she pointed out. “It’s very tempting to rely on the Drift instead of actually communicating, especially since Raleigh and I are so compatible, and our Drift was so intense.”

“Yeah.” Chuck winced; he knew that there’d been times he and his father had made up excuses to run some sims so they could use the Drift to say what was hard to articulate. 

He rinsed himself off, managing it with only minor contortions. Then, because he could, he asked, “Sure you don’t want to have a little fun with me? For old times’ sake?”

For a moment, he held himself open to her gaze. Instead, Mako met his eyes. “Not if you really care about Raleigh or the friendship you and I now share.”

“You’re no bonza to my ego, you know that.”

“Good,” Mako said. “You have plenty enough as it is.”

Chuck stared at her for a moment, then laughed. “Don’t change, Mako.” He shot her a smile before he hung the sprayer on its hook and turned off the water.

“Why would I?” she asked placidly, handing him a towel to get him started on drying off. “I would not like me if I did.”

“What’s wrong with Raleigh today? He’s been quiet all day.”

“He woke up thinking he was Yancy,” Mako said. “Going to the base didn’t help, either. His brother loved the military, was going to attend one of the American military academies and be an officer. Instead he refused the appointment and went into the PPDC; Raleigh followed because that was what he always did – followed his brother into a fight.” She paused, and added, “While you were getting your arm and leg seen to, they had us meet selected personnel. They were very proud of the fact that an American jaeger was victorious.”

Chuck winced, remembering the sea of officers that had greeted them. “You pointed out that Stacker and I were in Striker, yeah?”

“Your contribution was noted,” Mako said, in a tone that said she’d gotten nowhere. 

“The thing that happened with Raleigh, does that happen often?” he asked carefully.

“Not often,” Mako said as she dressed. She waited for Chuck to finish drying before wiping off the parts he couldn’t reach and then assisting him out of the bathroom and onto the bed nearest the window. “He told me when we started this tour that he can go for days, months even, without it happening, but when it does, it can completely derail him.”

“Did anyone notice?” Chuck asked, noting that Raleigh had yet to return.

“Not that I could tell,” Mako said. “He was a little crisper with his replies, but it’s something only you and I would notice since we’ve been around him more. Do you want your sleep shorts?” 

“Been paying attention, Mako?” Chuck teased lightly, and she flushed. “Yes, the blue ones.”

As Mako rooted through his suitcase, Chuck asked, “How bad was it to Drift with Raleigh?”

Mako handed him the requested clothing before replying, “You Drifted with someone who was a test pilot for all of the jaeger generations.”

Not surprised by the answer, Chuck clarified, “Mako. I don’t care if he wakes up sometimes thinking he’s his brother. I’ve had days when I’ve thought I was a RAAF pilot or, worse, my uncle. I have an idea of how tangled it can get. I want to know what I’m getting myself into.” He pulled on the boxer shorts.

Mako changed into the t-shirt and shorts she wore to sleep in before picking up the room service menu. “You know already,” Mako told him, picking up the hotel’s phone and moving it so Chuck could make the call. “You’ve heard his nightmares. If I know you, you’ve already propositioned him.”

Chuck frowned. “Mako, your ability to know these things is scary. Did Stacker teach you that?”

Mako smiled. “Somewhat. He wanted me to understand that communication wasn’t always in words.”

Chuck studied her a moment. “I don’t want to screw things up,” he admitted. “I’ve never felt this strongly about anyone except you before.”

“You and I were not a mistake, no matter what anyone else told us,” Mako said firmly. “We were just a case of really bad timing.”

“So what’s different now?” Chuck wondered.

“What’s different is that you, I, and Raleigh are friends,” Mako replied. “I don’t think you and I were this close before; you kept trying to shove me away like you did everyone else. I just refused to listen to you when you did that.”

Chuck barked out a laugh. “Yes. Your tenacity’s a lethal weapon.” He considered her words. “You know, if anyone could pull this off, it’s us.”

“What are you suggesting?”

“We stay friends, but we add sex to it,” Chuck said.

Mako hesitated. “I will need to consider this thoroughly, but in the meantime, please order me the chicken salad, dressing on the side.”

Chuck hid a smile at her practicality; he had a sneaking suspicion that by morning, she’d be more well-read on what he was proposing than he was. “Am I ordering for Raleigh too?”

Mako shook her head. “Just you and me for now. If he wants something, he’ll get it or Frank will make sure he does. Did you want me to rewrap your arm and leg before or after you make the call?”

“After’s fine; this won’t take long.” Chuck said before he placed the order for dinner. 

Raleigh showed up just shy of ten o’clock, sweaty, exhausted, and resigned. He grabbed clothes from his suitcase and went to shower. Chuck glanced over at Mako, wanting some kind of clue, but she’d tucked herself under the covers of the other bed and fallen asleep sometime while he’d been entertaining himself with trying to figure out if he could understand a German drama with the help of his tablet’s translation app. Shrugging, Chuck turned off the TV and closed the app.

Raleigh emerged from the shower, dressed in the sweatpants and T-shirt he usually wore to bed. “Need a hand with anything before I turn out the light?” he asked Chuck.

Chuck shook his head; he’d gotten pretty good at limping his way to the bathroom without falling over or making too much noise. “No, I’m good. You okay, mate?”

“I’m alive,” Raleigh said flatly. “You’d be better off finding a pretty twink without his brother’s brain shoved into his head, Hansen.”

“Probably,” Chuck agreed, switching on the bedside light as Raleigh turned off the one in the hall. “Wouldn’t be nearly as interesting, long-term.” The moment Raleigh got closer, Chuck reeled him in, pleased when Raleigh went willingly. 

“Why me?” Raleigh demanded.

“Pretty twinks I can find anywhere,” Chuck told him. “I want the guy who tells me jokes while he’s propping up my busted ass in the shower.” Then Chuck leaned in and kissed Raleigh gently before drawing back. 

Raleigh closed his eyes and shuddered in a breath. “Chuck,” he said helplessly. “Now's not a good time.”

“Yeah, my timing sucks,” he agreed. “But you needed that anyway. Come on. Get into bed and hold on to me.”

“Asking for a cuddle, Hansen?” Raleigh’s voice was a ghost of his usual level of humor, and Chuck frowned mentally. This was going to be one of those nights.

“And if I am? Not like you’re going to sleep much; might as well give you something else to think about.”

Raleigh didn’t deign to reply verbally, but the way he wrapped his arms around Chuck a few minutes later said everything. This time, Raleigh was the one who had nightmares that night, and this time, it was Mako on the other side of Raleigh, grounding him.

_JAEGER PILOT RIVALRY – Santino and Rose, the world’s newest pilots, are said to be jealous of all of the attention on their fellow Rangers and senior jaeger pilots Mako Mori, Raleigh Becket, and Chuck Hansen! One source claims that Santino and Rose think that Chuck is just faking his injury now for sympathy and attention – and so he doesn’t have to pilot a jaeger doing boring reconstruction work!  
\- National Enquirer_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For the record: Stacker and Chuck pulling off their helmets made no sense to me, so I've elected to pretend like they didn't here. :-)


	11. Chapter 11

Raleigh woke abruptly, startled into wakefulness by a dream that faded as soon as he opened his eyes. Though he’d started the night with Chuck in his bed, he was now alone; no doubt, Chuck had gotten up for the bathroom and, rather than fumble farther, had crashed with Mako in the bed closest. For a moment, Raleigh let his eyes adjust to the darkness. In the light that made it through where the blackout curtains met, he could just make out Mako, curled into Chuck’s taller frame, on the other bed, and he bit back a smile. Their shared shower had broken a barrier between Chuck and Mako, and in the day since, some of the leftover tension between them was gone. 

If it was anyone else, Raleigh admitted, he’d be jealous, but it felt…right. Three months on the road with them had deepened his understanding of both Mako and Chuck. Chuck was, rightfully, arrogant, brash, and sure of his place as the PPDC’s best Ranger; he wielded that arrogance to keep people from seeing just how deeply he wanted to be liked and reassured that what he was doing was the right thing. Raleigh had understood Chuck’s anger at having him and Mako on “his bomb run”; if he’d been in Chuck’s shoes, he’d have thought the same thing, five years and a lot of grief ago. What had pissed him off more was that Chuck – Chuck who Mako hadn’t ever stopped loving, Chuck who respected Mako’s ability to put together a jaeger from rusted, abandoned junk – had wanted to dismiss her when she’d been mortified by her failure and near-disaster. Seeing Chuck and how protective he was of her now that she’d, once again, proven herself had only reinforced the notion that Chuck had been afraid she’d die. 

People thought that after you’d been in someone’s head, you knew everything about them, but it wasn’t precisely true. You knew some things, but you didn’t always have context for the images that flowed through the Drift. Raleigh felt fortunate that the jumphawk trip to the Breach had provided him and Mako a chance to clarify some of those memories. He knew now, too, that her blunt-speaking had, in part, come out of dealing with Chuck, who, even as a child, hadn’t appreciated diplomacy. Raleigh knew too, that she’d come to expect that she wouldn’t be allowed certain things just because she wanted them. Even so, the months on the road had given him time to understand her frames of reference, sharpened the understanding the Drift had given him, and let him cherish her as a blunt-spoken, practical, passionate, deep-loving woman, who would be forever be his copilot. 

Though Chuck had stolen a few kisses while they showered, he’d respected Raleigh’s decision and hadn’t pressed for more, which Raleigh appreciated. It wasn’t just that he was sure that Chuck and Mako loved each other still. Raleigh had needed the time to sort out whether or not he could be with Chuck and Mako, because he couldn’t imagine his life without Mako, and he wanted, more than anything, to have Chuck as well. Another man would’ve called Raleigh greedy or worse. Raleigh didn’t care; he’d spent enough of his life living in the moment, then living in the past. Now he had a chance at a future – one that wasn’t dependent on his brother. How he was going to manage that, he wasn’t sure, but this tour of theirs was going to end soon. Raleigh suspected that if the status quo continued without a resolution to the emotions simmering just below the surface, Mako would bury herself in engineering the next jaeger or reconstruction effort, Chuck would retreat back to his ‘best damn soldier you ever met’ attitude, and Raleigh would, somehow, lose the two people who’d come to matter so much to him in such a short time. He didn’t want that.

Mindful that Chuck tended to sleep light – years of having to be awake at a moment’s notice had left its mark – Raleigh carefully exited the bed. Digging into his suitcase, he reached for the phone he pretended not to use just so he’d have a ready-made excuse to get Mako and Chuck to talk to him if nothing else. A quick check of their itinerary showed they were leaving that afternoon for a direct flight from Berlin to Moscow. Neither Chuck nor Raleigh had wanted to put Mako through the nearly three-hour flight until they were sure she had healed from her surgery. She was scheduled for a follow-up with the Shatterdome doctor as soon as they got back, but she’d already received the good news that the fibroid was noncancerous.

They had a day’s layover in Moscow, and it would be Mako’s birthday. Raleigh knew that for most of her birthdays since Onibaba, Stacker had arranged a quiet celebration, just the two of them. It was not, therefore, her custom to make a big deal out of her birthday, and he wanted to honor that while still acknowledging the milestone. 

The itinerary showed they were scheduled for an interview in Moscow with a national TV show before leaving the next day to go to the Vladivostok Shatterdome – a visit none of them were relishing. Already, they’d seen enough of the schedule to know it would be a full day event, full of pomp and circumstance and very little of the people who’d been so tangled in their Drift they called each other Sasha. Still, that left them with hours to kill after the interview, which gave Raleigh the opportunity he was hoping to find. Hearing Chuck start to stir, Raleigh quickly put his phone away, back at the bottom of his suitcase, and exited the room to speak to their security. Raleigh didn’t want to forget his copilot’s birthday. He wanted, given their limited schedule, to do something nice that was just for them – an hour, max, to pretend that they weren’t famous, that they could go out and have a treat to celebrate like ordinary people, like Raleigh had done with his siblings. Maybe he couldn’t give Mako and Chuck the grand date he might’ve once splurged on, but they could do that later, Raleigh thought. For now, he’d take what he could get.

He stepped back into the room in time to step directly into Chuck’s arms, as the Aussie had intended. Chuck’s quick reflexes saved him from falling over, and Raleigh started to chide him for attempting to catch him, only to have Chuck silence him with a kiss.

“Planning something for Mako?” Chuck asked. Mako, they’d learned, could sleep through people talking in normal tones; what woke her was sudden light after darkness.

“Asked Ethan if he’d figure out if there was a cake shop or something similar that we could go to,” Raleigh told him, referring to their security's second-in-command, who handled the night shift. “Sasha got Mako hooked on _ptichie moloko_ , and I’d like to see if it tastes like her memory of it.”

“The marshmallow with chocolate stuff on top and cake on bottom?” Chuck asked. 

Raleigh nodded.

“If we have that, it’s not a celebration,” Chuck told him roughly. “Sasha used it to say she was supportive of us as a couple; she thought we looked cute together. But maybe we can find something new.”

_CAUGHT IN THE ACT! PPDC Rangers Mako Mori, Raleigh Becket, and Chuck Hansen celebrate her twenty-second birthday with a stop at a sweets shop in Moscow. Who knew they were all fans of drunken chocolate cherry cake? Insiders report that the notoriously standoffish Chuck had his arm around Mako – has their childhood romance been rekindled? – People, online news, with photograph of Mako and Chuck standing close to each other in the shop – the kind of photo one takes when asked by an outsider; Chuck’s right arm is hidden behind Mako_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Because, y'know, Chuck would hide his busted arm behind Mako and claim that he was tired of it getting photographed....


	12. Chapter 12

“Well,” Chuck said, undoing his tie and tossing it on the bed, then flopping his body onto it, uncaring that it would wrinkle his suit further, “that was a circus.”

“We knew it was going to be one,” Raleigh pointed out as he shed his suit jacket, tie, and shirt, too distracted to notice the way Chuck leered at the sight of Raleigh’s bare chest.

“Doesn’t make it any less disgusting,” Mako said, sitting down on the bed next to Chuck with a sigh and kicking off her two-inch dress heels. “At least they did not ask us to do more than lay flowers. If they’d asked me to say something, I’d have been tempted to say that they were wasting money.”

“Think the Weis had the right thing: banning any memorial ceremony due to unspecified religious beliefs,” Chuck said as he sat up and shed his suit jacket. If Raleigh wasn’t going to pay attention to his flirting, Chuck decided, then that effort could be tabled for later.

Since the PPDC was still an independent organization, it had been decided that the official dress uniform, going forward, would be navy three-piece suit, following Stacker’s example. Both Raleigh and Chuck had PPDC dress uniforms (jaeger techs were expected to leave one work uniform clean for special occasions), but Raleigh hadn’t kept his after his departure and he’d lost enough weight that it wouldn’t have fit properly anyway. All three had thus been fitted for the new dress uniform, distinguishing it with the PPDC service pin and nothing else. Given the choice, Mako had eschewed a skirt in favor of pants, but she had opted for heels, well aware that at 5'5", she was never going to tower over Chuck, who was six feet tall, or Raleigh, who was an inch taller than Chuck.

Though the suits had been tailored to fit each pilot, none of them were comfortable wearing them. Today had been a full day of pageantry and speeches about heroism and sacrifice, most of which had been in Russian. The three pilots had been given in-ear devices, through which an interpreter had been translating the speeches into English for their benefit. The ceremony had been broadcasted live to the world, so they couldn’t – with the exception of Chuck – show just how disgusted they were by some of the grandstanding that had occurred.

“Anyone hungry?” Chuck asked. “Because if you aren’t, then I vote we all get undressed, climb into bed, and watch something on Mako’s tablet.” He wasn’t above stealth tactics if it got him to cuddle with the two people he loved.

“Why my tablet?”

“Because you have all the Miyazaki movies and I’m not in the mood to see what’s on TV,” Chuck said. “Chances are, they’re replaying the ceremony, and not much else.”

“I’ll stay dressed,” Raleigh elected. “Well, mostly dressed. That way, you two can get as naked as you want and get under the covers. I could use some food, and I know you need something, Chuck, if you want to heal faster.”

Chuck made a face. “Knew I shouldn’t have told you that.”

Mako elbowed him. “Play nice or you’ll have to shower alone, and we both know you don’t like that.”

“Spoilsport.”

“No,” Mako corrected placidly, “I know what I want, and I want to see you healed, not limping around. You may be proving the twelve-weeks-end of the eight to twelve weeks to heal spectrum, but I would like to see it be ten, not twelve.”

“Seconded,” Raleigh said, and dug through the drawers to find the room service menu. “Looks like we’re out of luck, guys,” he said a few minutes later. “No room service. Want me to see if we can get something delivered?”

“No,” Mako said. “Because if the choice is to stay here and wallow in our shared disgust at the way things went today or change clothes and go out, I’d rather go out. We cannot change what the Russian government decided, and it’s fruitless to keep going on about it. I’m sure that if the Breach stays closed, the celebrations of it being closed will only get more elaborate, not less.” She very carefully added, “Japan wanted me to speak about surviving kaiju every time the anniversary of the attack on the park commenced.”

Raleigh and Chuck looked at each other; both knew who’d overruled that notion. “Right,” Chuck said briskly. “We going incognito? After today, everyone’s going to be on the lookout for us.”

“Fuck that,” Raleigh said. “We’re going to be with our security anyway. Not like we couldn’t be spotted with them around.”

“True enough.” Chuck eased himself to the floor, where his suitcase sat. He sorted through what he could wear as Mako and Raleigh worked around him, getting their own clothes out of their respective suitcases.

The April night promised to be cool and rainy; the day had been cloudy, adding to the funeral atmosphere. Mako chose a three-quarter length knit shirt with an embroidered detail, while Chuck went for an olive green long-sleeved shirt, and Raleigh dug out his oatmeal sweater. All three wore jeans, boots, and their leather jackets, which had been waterproofed.

“Before we go out,” Chuck announced when they were all dressed, “there’s something I’ve been wanting to do all day.”

Raleigh and Mako looked at him expectantly. Taking advantage of the fact they’d all crowded near the door, Chuck leaned forward and kissed Raleigh, then Mako. “Just so you two know,” he told them, enjoying their expressions of surprise.

“Oh, so that’s how it is, huh?” Raleigh challenged. “And you expect us to just walk right out that door like you didn’t just make that declaration?”

“Yes,” Chuck agreed blandly. “Because my old man always told food comes before sex.”

Mako laughed. “No, he didn’t. You heard that in the Drift.”

“How else were we supposed to talk? With our mouths?” Chuck joked, and opened the door, neatly avoiding any further discussion. He missed seeing the look of ‘we’ll get him for this, later’ that Mako and Raleigh exchanged.

_“The Heroic Trio, as Mako Mori, Chuck Hansen, and Raleigh Becket have become known, placed flowers today at the Vladivostok Shatterdome site in memoriam of the Kaidonovskys, who lost their lives in the battle of Victoria Harbor in an historic double kaiju attack. At the ceremony, the Russian government announced that it is joining China, Australia, the Philippines, and New Zealand in supporting the PPDC. The US is expected to announce support soon. Sources say the US may be waiting for its UN representative to resign before announcing support. Representative Lawrence Taylor, along with UK Representative Lachlan Cole, was a major advocate for the unsuccessful Anti-Kaiju Wall. Investigative reports allege that Representative Taylor was a silent partner in construction contracts that benefited from the Anti-Kaiju Wall Project. I’m Luke Stowall, and you’re watching CNN News.”_

* * *

“You are not getting out of this,” Mako declared, pinning Chuck to the bed after they’d returned from dinner.

Laughing, Chuck didn’t bother trying to toss her off; he was enjoying the sight of her on top of him. “What?” he said, feigning innocence.

In reply, she leaned forward and kissed him. For a moment, he forgot about everything else but the feel of her lips against his, and eagerly began to kiss her back. Then, much to his disappointment, she drew back.

Then Mako leaned back, and Raleigh kissed him from his left. Unlike their previous kisses in the shower, this was as far removed from chaste as it could be, and fire raced through Chuck at the knowledge that they both wanted him.

Maddeningly, Raleigh drew back, and Chuck moaned his protest. 

“You may be ready for this,” Raleigh noted, “but you’re still not 100% healed.”

“Ah, come on,” Chuck wheedled. “We can just kiss, not do anything else.”

Raleigh arched an eyebrow. “You’re awfully pushy when you want something, Chuck.”

Chuck sighed. Mako slid onto the bed so he could sit up. “Yeah, because tomorrow hasn’t always been an option.” He studied his soon-to-be-lovers. “I don’t want to spend the rest of this trip pretending that I’m not interested in both of you.”

“If we were to do something now, it would be more difficult for you to hide it when we’re in public,” Mako replied.

“I don’t care –“

“Bullshit, Chuck. If you didn’t care what the world thought of you, you wouldn’t have been talking about setting records on TV,” Raleigh interrupted.

Chuck glared at him, though without much heat. “So?”

“So you pick one of us to be the public relationship,” Mako said.

“I’m not treating either of you like you’re a dirty secret,” Chuck countered angrily. “Not going to lie about you, either.”

Mako’s face fell slightly. “The press is already speculating that you and I have resumed our previous relationship. Surely that’s going to be better for the PPDC?”

“It may be better, but we saved the fucking world, Mako. I say that’s earned us the right to do what we want.” Chuck looked at her, needing her to understand. He was acutely aware that Raleigh wouldn’t do anything to hurt his copilot. “Haven’t you seen already that they’re going to say whatever the root they want? I say let ‘em. We’re not part of a government organization, and if it comes down to it – we don’t have to stay. I have no clue what I’d wind up doing, but none of us are idiots and we know enough engineering to do something useful.”

“What about your father?” Raleigh asked.

Chuck shook his head. “He'll be ok.” They looked so damned serious, he thought, and it seemed so damned simple now that he’d figured out he loved both of them. So he did what he thought was easiest. “Look, all we can really do is try. If this all goes to hell, then we’ll figure out a way to work together. Now can we get back to kissing?”

Mako looked at Raleigh. “He has a point.”

Whatever Raleigh would’ve said to that was interrupted by the ringing of Chuck’s phone. Swearing viciously – all three knew the only person who’d call would be the marshal – Raleigh straightened his shoulders. “Want me to answer that?”

“You’d better,” Chuck agreed. “Just give us a second to look respectable.”

Raleigh nodded and, moving so that all Herc would see was the back of a wall, answered Chuck’s phone. “Evenin’, Marshal.”

“Raleigh. Is my son and Mako with you?”

“Yes, sir. They’re changing clothes; we went out to dinner.”

“Good. I’ll keep this brief; I know it’s late where you are.” He paused. “Can they hear me?”

“Loud and clear, sir,” Chuck called.

“Good. Bridget –“ Herc referred to his secretary – “has sent you some updated information in your email regarding your travel. We’ve gotten some threats in the last week, and your security detail has been updated.”

“On a scale of ‘we killed your gods’ to ‘we want to restart an apocalypse,’ how bad is it?” Raleigh wondered.

“We’re accelerating the schedule so we can get you home sooner. Be careful. Word has it that they may be planning something big.”

Chuck had pulled on his shirt and combed his hair. Raleigh looked over at Mako, still flushed with arousal. She shook her head and ducked into the bathroom, leaving the door cracked so she could still hear. Raleigh then moved so that both he and Chuck were now in the camera’s focus.

“Why don’t you just bring us home?” Chuck demanded.

“The prime minister of Japan wants to see Mako,” Herc said. “The president of the Philippines won’t sign a contract for reconstruction until she sees you three, and I don’t think I need to explain Down Under?”

Chuck made a disgusted sound. “So we have to play politics and hope the cultists don’t decide to bomb us to oblivion.”

“Interpol’s on it,” Herc said, “but without real specifics…” He let his voice trail off. “It may be the same thing it’s been the last two years – a lot of rhetoric and grandstanding. Still, don’t take chances. You are not to go wandering alone, understood?”

“Yes, sir.”

Herc shifted in his seat. “One last thing. Take care of each other.”

“Yes, sir,” Chuck and Raleigh chorused, and Raleigh disconnected the line before setting the phone on the nightstand. 

“What did he mean by that?” Raleigh asked as Mako stepped back into the room.

“Don’t care,” Chuck replied, and tried to pick up where they’d left off, but the mood was broken and the moment was gone.


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If I've messed up the Japanese, corrections are welcome; Google Translate only goes so far.
> 
> ~~This one's short, folks, but the next one's much, much longer.~~
> 
> As always, feedback is welcome!

_TOKYO’S DAUGHTER MAKES A TRIUMPHANT RETURN  
Japan’s own jaeger pilot, Mako Mori, and her copilot, Raleigh Becket, met with the Prime Minister and his cabinet this morning for a ceremony honoring the two pilots for their bravery and service to humanity. Striker Eureka’s pilots, Chuck Hansen and the late Marshal Stacker Pentecost, were also honored. – local news, Tokyo, Japan_

 

Tokyo, Mako decided, was a far worse circus than Vladivostok had been. At least, the Kaidonovskys were dead and couldn’t see how their government was acting. The only good side to their schedule was that the Japanese government only got Mako for less than half a day. Mako had been furious of her government’s support of the Anti-Kaiju Wall, especially after she’d personally seen how one could tear through a city and demolish everything in its path. It didn’t help, either, that the current prime minister was a throwback to an older era; having to honor her stuck in his craw.

“Feel free to scream if you want,” Chuck said after the ceremony as they climbed into the limo which would whisk them directly to the airport.

Mako made a sound of frustration. “I’d rather pretend they didn’t just lie to me and tell me they were supporting us all this time. With what? Words and rhetoric?” Her mouth tightened in a thin line before she gave in and added, “ _Onshirazu, nekkyō-teki rokudenashi._ ”

Raleigh lifted an eyebrow; he knew Stacker had done his best to raise her as culturally Japanese as he could, which meant that Mako considered not using polite language an insult. For her to actually specify that the prime minister had been an ungrateful, chauvinistic bastard meant Mako was furious. “He really got to you.”

“He tried to tell me it was all your effort in Gipsy, as if I was nothing more than a warm body!”

“We should go back,” Chuck decided and looked at Raleigh. “Think you and me can rough him up a bit?”

“As tempting as that is, I don’t think it would be a good idea,” Raleigh noted. “Besides, I don’t start fights. I just finish them.”

“He insulted Mako’s honor,” Chuck pointed out.

Mako exhaled deeply, straightening her shoulders as she did. “Yes, but…I’m going to let it go. Undoubtedly we will have to deal with him again.”

“And we’ll remember this conversation,” Chuck noted. “Come here, babe.”

Mako went willingly to sit beside Chuck and let herself be cuddled. “It’s 2025. Why are there still people who think my gender can’t do something? I piloted a jaeger that helped save the world. What more do I have to prove?”

“Nothing to us,” Chuck assured her. “Maybe we should call Élisabeth and ask her to put out a story for us? You and Rose are the only two female jaeger pilots left now. That ought to shut some people up, if it’s said right, and God knows I drove her nuts saying all the wrong things.”

“As long as I don’t have to say anything I haven’t already said,” Mako said. “I don’t want to spend the entire flight talking to our head of publicity.”

“I’ll cut her off if she keeps talking,” Chuck assured her. “I have plans.”

“What kind of plans?” Raleigh asked, leaning forward.

“This is just us on this flight, yeah?”

Raleigh shook his head. “Don’t think so. I think this is the one we’re sharing with some executives from the Asian Development Bank.”

Chuck looked at him oddly. “Did you ask Frank or Ethan?”

Raleigh shifted uncomfortably. “I asked Bridget if she’d send me a notice if the flights were just us or not. So far, it’s been mostly us, with the exception of the New York to London flight, where we had those four international executives. I wanted to know in case one of us had a bad day. Bridget said if we'd kept to the original schedule, we'd have had this flight to ourselves, but since we didn't, she had to take what she could get for us. They’re making the execs go through extra screening because of the kaiju cultist threat, but we should be okay.”

“You boofhead. You’ve been pretending you don’t look at your phone all this time, haven’t you?”

“I wasn’t sure if you’d talk to me,” Raleigh said defensively. “I needed an excuse, and sometimes I get so distracted by the noise in my head I can’t remember how to do things. Or it just feels like I have this blank space where that set of instructions is. I’ve gotten good at coping so people don’t notice as much.”

Chuck stared at him, suddenly, vividly aware of just how far they’d come…and how his plans for some private cuddling that traveled a lot were now out the window. He'd gotten a good morning kiss from Raleigh, but Mako had been too keyed up to reciprocate when Chuck had kissed her. If he wasn’t going to get laid before they got back to the Hong Kong Shatterdome, Chuck wanted a lot of kissing, fondling, and groping to make waiting worth it. Yet Raleigh’s words made Chuck realize just how high the stakes were. If this went to hell, Raleigh would probably blame his brain damage for it – and that was the last thing Chuck wanted.

“Well,” Chuck drawled, aiming for a casual tone, “you don’t have to hide anymore, and you don’t need that excuse now.”

Raleigh looked painfully relieved by that, and Chuck leaned forward to press a quick kiss on his lips.

“Of course,” Chuck added, “this also means that I can tell my old man he can call you directly now.”

“Nuh-uh,” Raleigh said immediately. “I am not going to be your go-between unless it’s absolutely, positively necessary, like it was in Vladivostok.”

“Besides,” Mako interjected, “you are doing such a good job of being our leader on this adventure we’re having.”

“That’s it,” Chuck declared. “No more hugs for you.” He didn’t move his arm, though, and Mako and Raleigh just grinned.

_CNN Special Report – Women Making History [extract from longer report]_ Editor's note: the record for longest stable neural Drift was misstated as sixteen. This post has been corrected.  
 _Jaeger Pilots – Past and Present_  
 _… Sasha Kaidonovsky, who, together with her husband Alexis, held the record for longest neural Drift at eighteen hours and set the record for longest continuous service in a Mark I jaeger at six and a half years. Sasha was the lead pilot in Cherno Alpha, and named the jaeger after the Russian devil. Sasha and Alexis were prison guards before becoming jaeger pilots…._  
 _…. Mako Mori, who helped close the Breach in Gipsy Danger. She led the restoration effort on that jaeger. As a child, she was the only survivor of the kaiju Onibaba’s attack on a park in downtown Tokyo. Her experience informed her opinion that jaegers were the only viable method of protection against the kaiju threat…Mako believes that women are as capable of fighting as their male counterparts…_  
 _…. Rose Bochavara, who is leading reconstruction and monitoring efforts in the newest jaeger, Omega Envoy, with her copilot. Rose, a former professional model, was first involved in the Jaeger Program as a recruiting poster model. Hearing about the program intrigued her so much she began training to be a pilot; she was one of the Academy’s last graduates…._


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Special thanks to artificiallifecreator for the CNN retraction!
> 
> Also a huge thank you to everyone who's been reading this so far.
> 
> ~~Yes, I promised you a longer chapter this time, but it wound up being so long I split it into two, which will be posted as soon as I feel it's good enough. :)~~

_“The people here at CNN would like to apologize to the thousands of readers who wrote to us and to the millions of readers who read yesterday's column. The famous Kaidanovsky Drift wasn’t a mere 16 hours but in fact lasted for at least 18! Please accept our most sincere apologies for our mistake.” – CNN, (courtesy of artificiallifecreator)_

_STYLE WATCH – PPDC Rangers Mako Mori, Raleigh Becket, and Chuck Hansen look sharp in their new dress uniform – a classically tailored navy suit! The trio were at Malacañang Palace this morning to meet with Philippine President Maricel Salvador. – People online, with official photo from the meeting_

After the frustration and circus of their last two stops, Manila was a relief. It was a straightforward meet and greet with the Philippine president and selected members of her cabinet followed by the interview, which was also more in line with the general questions the trio had gotten used to answering. Raleigh did note, however, that he was getting sick of the ‘how did you maintain your fitness while away from the Jaeger Program’ question; he was starting to run out of ways to avoid saying “I couldn’t sleep, so I worked out instead.”

Their next flight, this one to Sydney, wouldn’t leave until six that evening, and so they had five hours to kill. The accelerated schedule had bumped them from some of the previously arranged private charter flights, which meant they were a little more subject to such delays since the charter service had to fit them into the preexisting flights. With such a short window between their last official function, they weren’t checked into a hotel, which meant they got to twiddle their thumbs in one of the private airport lounges until they were cleared to fly. Much to the dismay of their security, the airline who operated the lounge refused to restrict access to only PPDC personnel, saying that it had an obligation to its VIP customers to remain open.

As a result, Chuck, Raleigh, and Mako were limited to one corner of the lounge. Four of their security team stuck close, without hovering so close that they were obtrusive; the other two members of their security team stood outside the lounge, scanning for problems before they walked in the door. Chuck had overheard the manager of the lounge arguing with Frank about the situation. The manager had tried to say that the presence of the security was scaring off customers. Frank had simply asked, “You want to tell three of the people who saved the world they don’t have the right to feel safe?”

The manager had glanced at Chuck, Mako, and Raleigh, and blanched. Clearly, he’d thought Frank had been making an undue amount of fuss for some minor official. The manager quickly moved to offer free beverages and snacks, on the house, with a side helping of profuse apologies.

In an attempt to pass the time, Mako had pulled out the chess set, and she and Chuck were playing. Raleigh had started off the first hour leaning against Chuck, but had soon shifted so that his head was in Chuck’s lap. The rest of him was crammed on the bench seat between Chuck and the wall; if the table was any higher than knee height, he’d be invisible.

“Are you looking forward to going back to Sydney?” Mako asked as she contemplated her next move.

Chuck shrugged. “Home’s been the ‘dome for the last decade, and from what I saw of the schedule, we’re not even going anywhere near it. We’re the guests of honor at a groundbreaking ceremony for the reconstruction of a section of the city that was destroyed. If we had more time like we were originally scheduled, I would’ve taken you south – the kaiju never even touched there.”

“It feels very strange to be called ‘Tokyo’s Daughter,’” Mako admitted, moving a pawn. “I haven’t lived in Japan very much for most of the past decade because of _Sensei_.”

“Better than ‘Sydney’s Son,’” Chuck reminded her as he countered. “Remember that gossip site that loved to call us that?”

“How could I forget?” Mako said with a grin. She looked at her copilot, who was now clearly asleep. “Don’t move suddenly.”

Chuck pressed a light kiss on Raleigh’s lips; he didn’t stir. “Did he sleep at all last night?”

“Don’t think so. He’s worried.”

“Good way to get an ulcer,” Chuck noted, but he knew all three of them were on edge. Raleigh’s method of coping with his life meant he was actually on schedule for his midday nap. Chuck was just grateful that Raleigh had actually fallen asleep on him and not on the floor, or worse, was working out the stress with another set of pushups. “Be glad to get home. Pretty sure Max has forgotten who I am.”

“I doubt that could happen; he’s known you too long. He remembered me, after all, and it had been a year since I saw him last.” She studied the board. “Are you trying to stall me or do you really know what you’re doing?”

“No,” Chuck admitted freely. He’d led with an ambitious king’s gambit, but then couldn’t remember what all the right moves were to execute the counterattack when Mako saw through his strategy. “I had a plan in mind, but it’s falling apart because I keep getting distracted by you and Raleigh here. If we were alone…”

Mako scrunched her nose. “I believe I’ve heard you make these sorts of promises before,” she noted primly.

“Just you wait,” Chuck told her, flirting outrageously because he could. It could all end tomorrow, and he didn’t want regrets; he had a lifetime of them already. For a moment, he could almost make himself believe that being with her now was part of the grand plan he’d made of his life – kick ass on the kaiju, save the world, win back the girl he’d dropped in favor of doing everything that he needed to do to be a jaeger pilot. Looking at her and feeling the weight of Raleigh against his thighs, Chuck knew he couldn’t maintain that pretense. She’d slayed her own dragons and lost her father in the process. The least he could do was respect who she’d become, not the faded, bittersweet memory of her as his first girlfriend, first lover, first everything that was his and not something given to him by his father or his uncle.

Mako moved her knight on the chessboard, forcing Chuck to actually consider how he was going to recover…or even if he could. “We should probably talk about this…proposal of yours more,” she said quietly.

“Why?” Chuck demanded. “Why can’t we just enjoy being together? Not everything has to be dissected to pieces. We’re not teenagers anymore; we don’t have to ask permission to see each other.”

Mako pointedly looked around the room, which was filled with a mix of other travelers and PPDC security, before replying, “I do not wish to discuss this here.”

Chuck bit back the comment he’d been about to make, aware that his first instinct would always be to wound. If he told Mako he thought she was being too circumspect, it would be a bad rehash of an argument they’d had the first time they’d tried being together. Chuck wanted her too much to make that mistake twice. Instead he asked, “Why don’t you want to take a stand?”

“You make it seem so easy,” she said impatiently. “As if it means little to you.”

Chuck caught her hand as she lifted it off the knight she’d just moved. “Mako, it’s not that,” he said urgently. “I just don’t want to be my old man and regret things I didn’t do.”

She stared at him, considering, before inclining her head to accede the point. “Maybe. I want this to be perfect.”

“Already is,” Chuck teased her gently, kissing the back of her hand before letting it go.

Neither of them noticed the photographer who captured that instant, though their security did. The photo had already been sent, though, and was instantly tweeted around the world.

_“Chuck Hansen and Mako Mori are in love again,” the celebrity gossip show host declared. “Take a look at this picture, taken earlier today at a private airport lounge. Who knew the notoriously brash Chuck could be dashing and romantic? Guess it takes the reserved Mako to bring it out of him! The two jaeger pilots were childhood sweethearts until Chuck left for the Academy. Looks like the romance is burning even brighter now that they’re adults!” – Extra!_

A more lurid headline declared: _Raleigh Becket just can’t keep his new boyfriend, Chuck Hansen! While he slept in Chuck’s lap, Chuck flirted with childhood girlfriend and Raleigh’s copilot, Mako Mori over a game of chess! Here’s hoping Chuck isn’t following in his playboy uncle’s footsteps! – National Enquirer_


	15. Chapter 15

“What’s this about a photo?” Herc demanded the moment Chuck answered the vidcall on his phone in their new hotel room in Sydney as they started unpacking.

Chuck groaned and quickly transferred the call to his tablet so Raleigh and Mako could see and hear. “What photo?”

Herc brought it up. “This one.” He flipped the display so they could see the photo of Chuck kissing Mako’s hand.

“Not gonna apologize for that,” Chuck shot back.

“Not asking you to, son,” Herc replied. “Just wanted to be sure I had my facts straight, because Élisabeth wants to know if you want to demand a retraction or if you’re going to let it bloody go. There are some insinuations you're cheating on Raleigh with Mako.”

Chuck met his father’s eyes. “They’ve been talking shit about us for months now. Why does this one bother you?”

“Because while you don’t care, you’re not the most private person involved. Mako, are you okay with this photo?” Herc asked.

“Yes,” she replied, straightening her spine. “As photos of us go, it’s not as bad as the one of Chuck and me kissing when we were thirteen that caused so much uproar. It probably won’t be the last one.”

“Raleigh, your thoughts?”

“No one’s naked, drunk, stoned, or acting out of character,” Raleigh said, ticking the list off on his fingers. He considered the photo. “And given that our security escorted the photographer out of the lounge as soon as they saw him taking the photo, which woke me up…. Could be worse. Could’ve been the one where it looks like Yancy’s kissing me.”

Herc stared at him a moment as Chuck tried to smother a laugh. “Point taken,” Herc agreed. He hesitated before asking, “Is there anything I should know, Chuck, Mako?”

Mako glanced nervously at Chuck, then Raleigh.

“Your call, Chuck,” Raleigh told him, clearly speaking for Mako as well as himself.

“Yes, we’re involved,” Chuck said firmly, and waited for his father to react, mentally steeling himself for the disapproval.

To his surprise, Herc just looked relieved. “Figured you wouldn’t settle for just one person, son.”

Startled, Raleigh blurted, “How did you know it was all three of us?”

“Your security isn’t blind and they report to me,” Herc noted. “Frank’s known Chuck since he was twelve. Ethan’s noticed you aren’t doing as many late-night workouts as you used to, and Mako, you’re smiling again.” Briskly, Herc added, “For the record, all that matters to me is that you can work together. What you do on your own time is your business as long as it’s safe, sane, consensual, and it doesn't affect your work. If you wind up having an argument, find someone else to mediate, because I won’t be a neutral third party. Chuck and I can fight between ourselves without either of you, and that would not be useful. Understood?”

“Yes, sir,” the trio chorused.

“Now that’s out of the way, I wanted to let you know that the Chief Executive of Hong Kong has requested that you three meet with him when you get back. He wanted to throw you a welcome home party, but Élisabeth told him you were probably going to be tired and jet-lagged, so he agreed to a private audience instead.”

Chuck groaned. “We can’t escape this shit, now, can we?”

Herc looked amused. “Cheer up. At least it’s not the Dutch interviewer again. Love you, son. Take care of those two, all right?”

“Oi, they can take care –”

“I know that,” Herc interrupted. “Just humor your old man, all right?”

Chuck sighed. “Yes, sir. Anything else?”

“Be careful,” Herc added. “Love you, son.” Looking amused at Chuck’s predictable scowl at his open affection and clearly not expecting a reply, Herc disconnected the line.

“So, if I remember right, we have the night off?” Raleigh asked as he unpacked a few of his clothes, as had become his habit. They’d dropped their suits and dress shirts off at the front desk as they checked in so they would be pressed and ready to wear in the morning.

Mako picked up her tablet to check their calendar. “Nothing until breakfast, and then we meet the Lord Mayor of Sydney and a few other people in advance of the groundbreaking ceremony.”

“Oh bonzer. That means we can have some fun,” Chuck said lasciviously.

Much to his surprise, Mako hesitated. “Are you flirting with me because we aren’t home yet?”

Startled, Chuck said, “No. What?”

“You want both of us now because when we get back, you’ll come up with excuses not to,” Mako insisted.

“What the hell – Mako, who the hell made you reckon this?” Chuck demanded. His gaze immediately swung to Raleigh. “You?”

“Not me,” Raleigh said, hands in the air.

“Are you that upset that they took that photo?” Chuck asked. “They’ve been taking photos and videos of us all along, Mako.”

"They will turn this into a judgement on _Sensei_. They will say he did not raise me properly. Or worse, they'll use it to question your father's upbringing of you.”

“It won’t be the first time they said that about my old man and me,” Chuck insisted. “Probably won’t be the last, either. You were mostly apples with this when we were in the lounge. What’s different now?”

“It would be simpler if you just chose one of us, Chuck,” Mako said reasonably. “This is why I didn’t want to talk about this earlier when we were at the airport. This should be between us. The research I’ve done shows that most triads don’t last, especially if we have never been in one before.”

“And all that fancy research applies to us,” Chuck said, furious. “Because we’re just like those people.”

“That’s not what I meant,” Mako replied, irritated. “I simply think it would be easier. Raleigh and I could take turns.”

Raleigh’s expression shuttered at that suggestion, and Chuck knew the other man wanted nothing of that kind of arrangement. Even if Raleigh wasn’t sexually attracted to Mako, Chuck suspected that he’d be willing to watch and help.

“So, how’s that supposed to work, huh?” Chuck challenged. “You get Tuesdays and he gets Wednesdays? What if I want to spend time with both of you? Does that count twice? Or what happens if you two wind up spending all day in a jaeger and you’re so tangled in each other that you might as well be one person?”

“I merely am suggesting a way for us to handle this relationship discreetly,” Mako countered.

“I’m not feeding one of those celebrity reporters the details of what any of us like in bed,” Chuck snapped. “But I’m not going to hide that I love you. That was my mistake before.”

Mako’s stiff posture softened somewhat at those words. “And what about Raleigh?”

“Not a second choice,” Chuck said fiercely. “Not even close. So what if we don’t know how to do this properly? The only thing I’ve ever had a manual for in my life was a jaeger. I don’t want to live like that anymore, don’t you get it?” He limped over to where Mako stood, arms crossed. “We’ll figure it out, I swear. You’ve always gotten me to talk more anyone else, Mako.” Chuck looked at Raleigh, wanting him to understand as well. “I’ve never felt this way about anyone, and I can’t imagine wanting anything less than us.”

Mako met his gaze, looking more than a little scared. “I want this to work, and everything I’ve ever wanted has always been something I can’t have. Or if I do get it, it’s years before I do.” Tears shimmered in her eyes. “I love you, Chuck, and you and Raleigh are the only people I have now.”

“I’m not going anywhere –” Chuck started to say.

Raleigh stepped forward. “Don’t make promises you aren’t sure you can keep, Chuck,” he said, a wealth of grief lacing his tone.

Chuck looked at Raleigh, then at Mako. “Fair enough. To the best of my ability, then, I’ll be here. Even if I wind up limping the rest of my life and bitching about the pins in my elbow. Long as you and Raleigh are with me, I’ll be all right.” He studied her. “Or are you having second thoughts?”

“And thirds and fourths,” she confessed. “It seems so easy to just kiss you and want to see how you and Raleigh are together.”

“Shouldn’t it be?” Raleigh asked reasonably. “We’re going to fight; that’s a given, with who we are. Yancy and I agreed that if we were really angry with each other, we’d walk away and think about it and then talk about it, so we didn’t beat each other up. Maybe that would work for us?”

Mako bit her lip. “Maybe. I don’t want to do this wrong.”

Chuck sighed inwardly; he’d forgotten just how deep her passion for perfection ran. “Mako, look, I’m flyin’ blind here, too, but I’d like to reckon that it’s easier than fightin' a kaiju. At least here, I can make an educated guess as to how you’re going to react, and you’re not going to kill me. I hope.”

That made Mako laugh, as Chuck hoped it would. Taking her hands, Chuck backed up carefully, Raleigh moving to guide him, and sat down on the bed. Moving slowly, he leaned in and kissed her again until she shuddered and surrendered to it.

“Maybe I should leave you two to get reacquainted,” Raleigh said blankly.

In reply, Chuck reached for him and wound up shoving himself almost off the bed. Only Raleigh and Mako’s quick actions saved him from completely falling off.

Mirth danced in Mako’s eyes. “So is that how it’s going to be?” she asked, suddenly more at ease than she’d been, and both men understood she’d committed herself to this plan of action.

“Probably,” Chuck agreed. “Come on, Mako. It’s not like I can be completely acrobatic here.”

Laughing, she stole a kiss. “Then maybe you should just lie back and let us do the work,” she suggested.

“Or we could keep talking about this and how we should have a strategy going forward,” Chuck said, eyes gleaming with mischief. “You know, for when one of us just isn’t in the mood and who gets to be jealous when, if ever –”

Mako shut Chuck up with a kiss. “Later. We have survived kaiju; we will find a way through this,” she said, her tone an order, and Chuck knew it said volumes about his preferences when he shuddered in response.

For long moments, he traded kisses with Mako and Raleigh, fanning the flames of desire until all they could think of was each other. Reluctantly, Chuck pulled back, aware that if they wanted to continue, clothes had to go. He sucked in a sharp breath as Raleigh helped Mako to undress, baring her breasts to their gaze.

“Sit up,” Raleigh said, and it was only then Chuck realized he’d fallen back against the bed. As soon as he was upright, Raleigh then tugged at the tails of Chuck’s shirt, and he willingly rose his arms so the t-shirt could come off his body. Before Chuck could react, Raleigh pulled off his own t-shirt and settled on the bed as Mako positioned herself in Chuck’s lap.

“One question before we continue,” Mako said. “Did anyone happen to bring condoms?”

“I didn’t,” Raleigh said ruefully. “Didn’t bring any lube either. Wasn’t expecting to get laid this trip. Chuck?”

Chuck leaned his head against Mako’s shoulder, shaking his head ruefully. “Figures. I finally get the two of you in my bed and none of us came prepared.”

Raleigh considered. “We can still get each other off as long as we stick to hands. I don’t do unprotected sex, even oral sex.”

“Or we could call a timeout now,” Mako offered.

“No,” Chuck said decisively. “Want to keep on feeling both of you.” He winced as he flexed his left calf.

Raleigh and Mako caught the grimace. “Maybe you should touch me, make you feel a little better?” Mako asked flirtatiously.

Chuck grinned and dipped his head to suckle on her breasts. He loved she wasn’t buxom, but perfectly shaped for her frame. He quickly discovered her large areolas were very sensitive and spent a few minutes tasting them, teasing her nipples. With his tongue, he traced the pattern of her drivesuit scars as they fanned out on the curve of her right breast and watched her shudder at the touch.

He felt more than saw Raleigh slip onto the bed behind him and start to drop a line of kisses down the back of his neck, his hands reaching up to stroke Chuck’s nipples. Chuck shuddered, his mouth breaking contact with Mako’s skin, and he turned his head to capture Raleigh’s mouth in a French kiss.

Mako leaned down to lick Chuck’s nipples, taking turns with Raleigh’s fingers, and Chuck knew he wouldn’t be able to handle much more without hurting himself.

“Damn it,” Chuck swore. Then he got an idea. “Raleigh and Mako, you two get naked. I want to get you both off.”

“Ladies first,” Raleigh said, and the way he said it, Chuck knew instantly he was enjoying the sight of Mako flushed with arousal. Chuck couldn’t say he blamed him.

Mako shed her remaining clothes with speed, tossing them to the floor. Leaning forward, she kissed Chuck so thoroughly, he almost forgot what his plans were…almost. Breaking the kiss, he reached between them and angled his hand so he could reach her clit and stroke it, dipping into the well of her sex with one finger and finding her soaking wet.

She wasn’t a moaner, Chuck discovered, but he could see her desire in the flush of her skin, the hitch of her breath, the way her lips parted on a soundless moan. She threw herself into kissing him, her body rocking on his hand as he stroked her. It didn’t take much to get her off; she was already halfway there. Some old, half-hidden fear that she’d never let him touch her this way again, never respond to him with the same kind of abandon, died a flaming death in that moment. She sagged in his arms before kissing him once more in wordless gratitude.

Then it was Raleigh’s turn, but Mako did something completely unexpected. As she moved off Chuck to make room for Raleigh, she unfastened Chuck’s pants, relieving some of the pressure on his erection. Chuck groaned at her touch.

“Not fair to bloody go that far and stop,” Chuck protested, his accent thickening.

“Later,” she promised wickedly, moving to make room for Raleigh.

Raleigh kissed him, then angled himself so that he was on his side, facing Chuck. Chuck reached for Raleigh’s cock, finding it to be cut, decently sized, and leaking precum, and started stroking firmly. He pushed the wish for lube aside; he’d take what he could get, and right now, what he wanted was to watch Raleigh fall apart at his touch.

“Yeah, like that,” Raleigh said encouragingly, and Chuck captured his mouth, suspecting that if he didn’t, Raleigh would narrate the whole thing. Some other day when they didn’t have guards standing on the other side of their hotel room door, Chuck promised himself, some other day, he’d let Raleigh talk them both off a sexual cliff.

Raleigh didn’t seem to mind being shut up like that, but Chuck soon discovered why Mako had unfastened his pants. As Chuck focused his attention on Raleigh, Mako fished Chuck’s cock out of his briefs and began to stroke. Chuck whimpered against Raleigh’s mouth, and then Raleigh’s hand joined hers. It became, suddenly, a race to the finish; he didn’t beat Raleigh, but it was close.

Spent, Chuck flopped his head back on the bed as Raleigh laughed softly. Ignoring the splatter of come between them, Raleigh kissed him gently. “Want to shower or just wipe off with a wet towel?”

“Wet towel. We can shower later,” Chuck decided.

“You two just lie there; I will bring it,” Mako said. “If you move too much, you’ll smear.”

“And if I said I wanted to hold you right now?” Chuck asked.

“I will tell you ‘not until you’re a little bit cleaner,’” Mako said primly.

“You’re in love with a very practical woman,” Raleigh noted. “Gotta be quicker if you want to get past that.”

“Eh, why?” Chuck shrugged; it wasn’t as though he didn’t know what he was getting with her.

Mako brought a warm, wet face cloth for both of them, and, when they were done, carried the used cloths back to the bathroom. Then, and only then, did she join Chuck and Raleigh on the bed, snuggling into Chuck’s left side.

“You are not hurt?” she inquired.

“It was just a twinge, and you two kept me anchored well enough that I didn’t twist,” Chuck reassured them. They were going to be okay, he thought. Confident they would be able to continue on this path, Chuck wallowed in the feeling of being snuggled by Raleigh and Mako.

 

_“Well, folks, if you’re hoping to get a glimpse of three of the famous Heroes of the Breach, you’ll get your chance tomorrow at the groundbreaking ceremony for a new planned commercial development in downtown Sydney. The development will replace the buildings razed by the kaiju Mutavore, and the central building of the multi-unit development will contain a memorial plaque honoring those who were injured or killed during the kaiju’s rampage. The ceremony will take place beginning at 11 AM, and a special viewing area will be open starting at 10 AM.” – local news broadcast, Sydney_


	16. Chapter 16

“We’re live on scene in Sydney, where a planned appearance of the Heroes of the Breach was cancelled after a bomb exploded. The three jaeger pilots were to appear at the site of the now-demolished downtown, where a groundbreaking ceremony was to be held. According to police, the bomb exploded early, killing two workers who were setting up the microphones on the site for the ceremony, and injuring six others. It’s clear the intended targets were Rangers Mako Mori, Raleigh Becket, and Chuck Hansen. Sources say the bomb was a crude Claymore-type device. Other similar devices have been used in previous terrorist attacks on civilian crowds. Police have not yet made any arrests, but focus is on the Blue Sun kaiju cult, which is the largest of its kind in the world. We go now to Emily Harris in the studio. Emily, what is the PPDC’s reaction to this?”

“Brian, the PPDC issued a statement reiterating its position that the kaiju are not gods, but monsters from an alien universe intent on annihilating the Earth. Hold on, we have breaking news – we have just received a taped response from Rangers Mori, Hansen, and Becket.”

It took a moment for the recording to play, and it looked hastily staged. The trio were in an anonymous conference room in what could’ve been one of a thousand hotels anywhere in the world. All three looked as though they hadn’t gotten much rest, and were dressed in their now-familiar suits as they sat in three armless chairs, with Mako in the center, Chuck on her right, and Raleigh on her left.

“We are saddened by the events at the construction site in Sydney this morning,” Mako began. “Our sympathies go out to the workers who were injured and killed by those who believe that killing is the way to get the kaiju to come back. We are committed to ensuring that the kaiju never come back, by whatever means necessary.”

“Those of you who think that killing jaeger pilots is the way to appease your gods are sadly mistaken,” Raleigh said. “The kaiju don’t care about your worship.”

“They are interested only in how they can harvest this world for their uses, and they will kill everyone who stands in their way unless we kill them first,” Chuck said. “We closed the Breach. They cannot hear your worship, and they don’t care. So killing us – or killing innocent people – will not advance your cause. We are cooperating with police to ensure that no future incidents occur.”

The news anchor waited for the video to end before cutting in with, “And that is the newly released statement from the Heroes of the Breach. In case you’ve just joined us….”

From the relative safety of their new hotel room – the old one had been deemed a possible security breach – Raleigh watched the news segment, his arms crossed. They’d sent the video to all news outlets less than twenty minutes before; Raleigh had wanted to see what the reaction to it was.

“Coldly furious” was a new look on him, Chuck decided, and one he didn’t like.

“You aren’t going to fix anything by staring daggers at the TV,” Chuck noted. “We’ve done what we could. Dad said they’re going to make sure the survivors don’t have to worry about medical expenses.”

“Just…I hate not being able to do anything,” Raleigh said, finally. “Are we going to do this again tomorrow?”

“Local police are advising against it,” Mako spoke up, tapping her tablet to indicate she’d gotten an email indicating such. “The organizers are willing to reschedule our appearance to when the building is dedicated, so we will be flying home tomorrow.” She studied her copilot. “You were looking forward to something,” she surmised.

“Wanted to see a little bit of the city,” Raleigh admitted.

“Not much to see, mate,” Chuck said, and rose, a little unsteadily, to his feet. He waved off Raleigh’s wordless offer of assistance, going for the side chair and the pot of hot tea that had come with their breakfast. “Be awhile before they rebuild the Opera House and everything else.” 

Then there was a knock on the door. “PPDC Security,” Frank, the head of their security announced.

Raleigh went to check the peephole before letting the burly man inside. “Yes?”

“We’re moving you. The marshal has decided you need to be home.” The head of security looked uncomfortable. “He threatened to take one of the jumphawks and do it himself if we didn’t move quickly.”

“What’s happened?” Mako asked.

“Your statement was not received well by the cultists,” the security chief said. “We can protect you better in the ‘dome.” 

“Understood. Give us a few minutes to pack?”

Chuck eyed the older, grizzled, ex-military man a moment before picking up his phone and dialing his father. “Thought I was supposed to be the reckless one," he greeted.

Herc sounded grim. "You never were, so don't give me that shit," he replied. "Don't make me come get you myself. And don't give Frank hell either."

"Yes, sir." Then, because he was feeling contrary, added, “You couldn’t do this sooner?"

Herc glared at his son. “You want me to tell Raleigh and Mako to forget about dating you because you’ll be too busy helping me? I’m sure I can come up with some politician who’d be thrilled to talk to you.”

“No,” Chuck said unhappily. He’d wanted another night in his home city, damn it, another night to explore his new lovers without his father in the same building.

“Then I suggest you hang up and get packing,” Herc told him.

Chuck disconnected the line before he said something he’d regret. “Anything else?” he asked Frank.

“Wanted to let you three know that if you wanted the six of us to be your primary security when you go out of the ‘dome, we’d be happy to do so,” he said.

“We appreciate that,” Raleigh said, “and we’ll let you know. How quickly do we need to be packed?”

“As soon as you can be ready,” Frank said apologetically. “The marshal is sending one of the jumphawks to get you; he doesn’t trust the charter service right now.” Frank hesitated before adding, “I know you three wanted a little more time alone, so if you were to take an hour, I’ll take the blame.”

“No need,” Mako said. “But thank you.”

Frank nodded, and exited the room.

“Hey,” Chuck said, breaking the sudden silence. “I meant what I said last night. Not going to want to stop being with you. Just…we may have to ask my dad about moving rooms so we get one of the bigger beds.”

Raleigh leaned in and kissed him, and tugged Mako in close so she could do the same. For a moment, Chuck held them close, then said briskly, “All right. Packing. The sooner we’re done here, the sooner we can find out if we can all fit into the same standard-issue bed.”

“Do you only have sex on the brain?” Mako asked, trying to sound annoyed but winding up sounding fond instead.

“Well, I had ‘kill kaiju’ on the top of the list for long enough; figure it’s time to retire that one,” Chuck said, rising to his feet to do the ‘three people, four suitcases, two sets of drawers, and one person who couldn’t move all that quick’ dance they’d learned to do so well over the last few months.

Raleigh just grinned, while Mako fought a smile before leaning over to steal a kiss from Chuck.


	17. Chapter 17

A jumphawk, by design, was an efficient war machine, like most military helicopters. Its primary mission was to help transport jaegers quickly out to locations too far for the jaeger pilots to transit on sheer human power alone. Its secondary mission was pilot support and rescue, which meant it was equipped with emergency medical supplies as well as being armed with heavy artillery, in case a kaiju got too close. One jumphawk in each squadron was the designated medevac chopper. Each helicopter was capable of transporting up to six passengers and required a five-person crew – two pilots, two combat-certified flight paramedics, and a gunner who also was a paramedic. In addition, the mission requirements meant that the jumphawks had the longest flight range of any helicopter in history, thanks to a breakthrough in fuel technology. This meant that a single jumphawk, without a load, was capable of transoceanic flight without refueling; a squadron of jumphawks carrying a jaeger was capable of mid-ocean transit.

In terms of passenger comfort, though, a jumphawk was, at heart, a military helicopter and, by this time in the Kaiju War, a well-worn one. The bench seats had been padded with industrial-strength foam, the seatbelts made to military specifications, both of which had just begun to show signs of wear. Despite the lack of plush comfort, the trio felt more at home in the jumphawk than they’d been in any previous charter flight. The flight crew was, thankfully, not the same as who’d picked them up after the Breach was sealed; no one wanted the reminder, but it was a crew with whom Mako and Chuck were familiar from various other trips.

Since the security team couldn’t all fit on the same jumphawk as Mako, Chuck, and Raleigh, Frank had elected to send half his team with them; the other half would follow later. It meant, as far as the trio was concerned, that they were limited to what they could talk about, even if they knew Ethan, Isabel, and Chen were fully aware they were involved. The noise of the helicopter meant all of the passengers had to wear headsets to protect their ears and to be able to communicate with each other and the flight crew.

Aware they had an audience and a ten-hour flight, the jaeger pilots did their best to avoid talking about what they’d done last night. It slipped out, though, in the way Chuck let Raleigh lean on him, and in the way Mako sat a little closer.

“Anyone know what we’re going to do when we get back?” Raleigh asked, fighting a yawn, midway through the flight.

“Besides get my limbs seen to, Mako checked up, and you into the nearest bed so you can actually sleep?” Chuck asked. “Thought you were reading your email now.”

“I did, but I didn’t understand it,” Raleigh replied, shrugging. “Brain wasn’t firing on all cylinders when I read it.”

“Means you, me, and Mako get to figure out what the next jaeger looks like, who’s going to pilot it, and what we think the training requirements should be. I don’t think we’re going to need another battle-ready jaeger, but I don’t want to jinx us, either. There’s also the reconstruction program, which will need jaegers – not necessarily the beasts we jockeyed, but maybe smaller, more heavy-equipment-type ones.” Chuck paused. “I don’t know if I’ll jockey a jaeger again, given how long it’s taken me to get to this point with my leg, and I know my elbow won’t handle high-stress loads now.”

“Don’t go borrowing trouble,” Raleigh warned. “We might be able to compensate for that, if the hydraulics are set up right. Didn’t Striker have a power-assist so you could run faster with less effort?”

“And here I thought you never paid attention to my jaeger,” Chuck began.

Raleigh laughed. “You should’ve heard the Gages drool over it,” he said. “Yancy and I did a training run with them – they were trying to see how fast Romeo Blue actually could run if they tweaked it a certain way – and all Yancy and I heard was how envious they were that you and your dad were getting the fastest jaeger.”

“The PPDC was hoping to put all the Mark I and Mark II pilots into new jaegers,” Mako interjected. “Someone objected to the budget on the Mark Vs.”

“Still can’t believe you managed to get Omega Envoy online and functional in a week,” Chuck told Mako. “Not after the condition it arrived in. Wasn’t the conn-pod missing?”

“Not missing, just not finished with the proper fluid synapses and wiring. After I saw how the crew got Gipsy and Striker back together in less than four days, I knew they could finish a jaeger if they had all of the parts. Besides, Omega Envoy was already scheduled to arrive for restoration, so I had ordered what I needed to finish it.”

Chuck shook his head. “You make it sound like you just ordered lunch, Mako.”

“It’s no different,” Mako insisted. “Lunch has components; if it’s a balanced meal, it should be perfectly harmonized on your palate.”

“So are you saying you want a proper date?” Chuck asked, teasing lightly. “Fancy meal in a five-star restaurant, us dressed up?”

Mako shook her head. “Not necessarily. For special occasions, sure, but you’ve seen what I eat if I have a choice.”

“Which is an odd combination of flavors at times,” Raleigh noted. “Seriously, Mako, chocolate bubble tea? With orange jelly and tapioca?”

“Why not? People used to eat chocolate oranges. Just because you made yourself sick eating a bunch of them on a dare doesn’t mean that my flavor preference is invalid.”

Chuck smothered a laugh. “Okay, so how many did you manage to eat?”

“Twelve,” Raleigh admitted. “Probably shouldn’t have washed them down with soda, but I was trying to prove a stupid point.”

“Which was?” Chuck wondered.

“You know, I don’t remember anymore,” Raleigh said honestly. “All I remember is that it was stupid.”

“Jazmine dared you,” Mako guessed. “And then Yancy double-dared you.”

Raleigh grinned sheepishly. “Ah, yes. That was probably it. So what’s the stupidest dare you’re willing to admit to taking, Chuck?”

“Probably firing flare guns on a kaiju,” Chuck said. “Second to that is the one where my uncle dared me to figure out how to rig myself a jump seat in Lucky Seven.”

“I heard about that,” Raleigh said. “He sounded like he didn’t think you’d actually do it.”

“Wasn’t worth the lecture on safety I got from the marshal afterwards,” Chuck said. “Hadn’t realized just how I might’ve gotten myself hurt.”

“ _Sensei_ wasn’t sure whether to applaud your engineering or to scold you,” Mako revealed. “He did make me promise not to do the same to any other jaeger.”

Chuck shook his head. “Only reason it worked in Lucky was because the conn-pod had more room around the central harness area, but I wound up burning a hole in the back plate and almost short-circuited everything. That’s the only reason I got caught – the alarms went off. Otherwise, I had the jump seat all ready to go.”

“Mako, why’d you pick Gipsy and not some other jaeger? Lucky was a successor gen jaeger.”

“I wanted it,” Mako said. “But we were limited to what we could procure at the time, and Lucky’s major parts had already been recycled for use in other jaegers.”

“If my old man could, he’d have blown it up himself,” Chuck added. “He agreed to let them pull it apart instead. He didn’t want anyone else in that jaeger, not after what happened.”

“Got it,” Raleigh said with a nod. “Are we cleared for more jaegers, then? Because I don’t know if I could handle seeing Romeo Blue resurrected.”

“That’s a tank, not a jaeger,” Chuck objected. “Its top speed was what? A slow crawl?”

“Pretty much, yeah, and that was even after the Gages tweaked the code.”

“I would prefer that we built new ones, rather than restore old jaegers,” Mako replied. She inclined her head at Raleigh. “Gipsy feels like Yancy’s still a part of her, and that’s a feeling I’m not sure another pilot pair would understand without an interpreter.”

“We’re funded, but I don’t think we’re rich yet,” Chuck reminded her. “May have to go that route still. Any pilot who can’t deal with those kinds of ghosts isn’t my kind of jaeger pilot.” He met Raleigh’s eyes, wanting him to understand, again, that he had his respect.

Raleigh grinned and nodded an acknowledgment.

_“The Heroes of the Breach have safely made it back to the Hong Kong Shatterdome without incident,” the celebrity reporter said. “They were transported via jumphawk helicopters directly from Sydney shortly after the attack. No reporters were allowed to be on the scene of their arrival. We are told, however, that there was a very enthusiastic reunion between Chuck Hansen and his beloved bulldog, Max, who is the official mascot of Striker Eureka, and they even provided us with a picture to prove it.”_

_“That’s so sweet, Lucy,” her co-host said. “Any word on the suspects in that horrible bombing yesterday?”_

_“Not yet, but I’m told the police have a few leads now. The survivors are also recovering.” – Extra! News segment_


	18. Chapter 18

_“In breaking news today, police have arrested two suspects, both of them survivors of the bombing, in connection with the bombing in Sydney earlier this week. They also stated that a third person, who triggered the bomb, is one of the two men killed. Police say the two suspects are former members of the Blue Sun kaiju cult, which has publicly condemned the bombing and reiterated its position as a peaceful organization. Observers have noted the cult’s statement is similar to what was said when its charismatic leader was arrested on terrorism charges two years ago. However, experts say that the Blue Sun cult only rewards successes and denounces any failures, so their categorical denial of being involved is typical of the organization._

_“Police also announced that they have arrested two additional suspects and charged them with attempted kidnapping and conspiracy to murder in conjunction with the bombing. Police stated that the two women were working as housekeepers in the hotel where the Heroes of the Breach were staying, and that they intended to ensure that the three jaeger pilots were killed as originally intended by the bombing. Meanwhile, the four surviving city workers who are not suspects are still in critical condition. This is Luke Stowall, and you’re watching CNN News.”_

After such a long, overnight flight, Mako, who couldn’t sleep on aircraft, had passed cranky and was well into ‘find me a bed now, damn it.’ Chuck had fallen into a brooding silence, but had stayed awake. Raleigh, meanwhile, had slept the last three hours and was the only one of the three to be in a decent mood. It was therefore up to him to decide who slept where. Given the way Mako was glaring at everyone, Raleigh elected to put her and Chuck in their separate rooms, telling them that they could be together later, but now was for sleeping – alone. Raleigh figured that as moody as they both were, trying to negotiate which side of the bed they slept on was going to result in an argument both of them would regret. He figured if they got at least an hour’s nap, they’d be in better moods than if they didn’t.

Raleigh didn’t immediately head to his quarters, though. He’d had to leave his suitcases behind on the jumphawk so that he could wrangle his copilot and his boyfriend to their rooms, and had intended to come back for their luggage. Upon his return to the helipad, he was informed that the luggage would be delivered to their quarters, and he didn’t have to worry. Not wanting to immediately head back and needing to stretch his legs, Raleigh took a walk around the ‘dome, trying to see what had changed since he’d been away. He saw that the crew for Omega Envoy was lounging around and spent some time talking with them; half of them were former Gipsy Danger crew, which meant they had some catching up to do as well. The walk burned an hour and a half of his time, and he was starving by the time he was done, so he headed for the mess hall.

That meant, however, that Raleigh was the perfect target for Herc, who waited until after Raleigh had downed his first cup of coffee and taken a bite of his breakfast before zeroing in for a talk.

“Marshal,” Raleigh greeted, starting to rise to his feet in respect, but Herc waved him off.

“Sit and eat,” Herc told him, his smile easing the order as he took a seat across from Raleigh. “You give me an excuse to actually sit and drink my coffee.”

“Been a little busy?” Raleigh asked, smiling.

“Now that the world’s starting to see the kaiju threat’s eased, they’re starting to rebuild, and now that we've shown how a jaeger can help, they want us everywhere,” Herc told him, sipping from a mug as big as his fist. “People are starting to think maybe the kaiju aren’t coming back.”

“The kaiju were very determined, sir,” Raleigh said. “I'm not sure I'll believe the threat's gone for years yet. How are Dr. Gottleib and Newt doing?”

“Still trying to untangle themselves,” Herc said. “But at least they’ve stopped screaming at each other. I didn’t come to talk about them.” He set down down now-empty coffee cup on the table and looked at Raleigh seriously. “I saw how you corralled my son and Mako into going to their separate rooms, which I was hoping you’d do. I took the liberty of setting you three up in a suite three doors down the hall from my quarters. Bed’s a king size and shower’s big enough for three. Tub, well, it’s a tub that one person can sit in; that’s all I can say about it. They had to make a concession somewhere. It’s one of the two deputy marshal’s quarters; previous occupant had it customized because he was a rather large guy. Damn shame he died of a heart attack when he heard the program was shutting down.”

“That’s very generous of you, sir.”

Herc snorted. “Generous, no. Avoiding the confrontation with my son where he tries to claim I’m not supportive, yep.”

Raleigh stared at Herc a moment. “If I may ask, sir, why are you so supportive?”

“Because I’ve always known my son needs more than one person to keep him in line. Only reason I’ve been able to get as far with him as I have has been that we Drift well together, but he’s still an opinionated, arrogant, and insolent man. He’s who I was when I was his age, only without someone to smooth over his rough edges.” Herc met Raleigh’s gaze. “The first time he was with Mako, Stacks and I thought maybe they’d be peachy for each other. Turned out as good as they were, Mako still needed time to grow up, and Chuck – well, Chuck had his plans, and she didn’t fit into them then. Now’s a different yarn.”

“What do you need from me in exchange, sir?”

“For you to be you,” Herc said quietly. “Give me your input, your advice, help Mako and Chuck in whatever way you can, pitch in with Tendo if you feel the need, but you don’t need the responsibility like they do. You need to feel needed, and it doesn't matter how. Am I wrong about that?”

Raleigh shook his head. “No, sir. I don’t have the specialized knowledge they do.”

“You can get it, if you wanted.”

“Never was that good in school, sir. Everything I know about a jaeger, about how things work together, is because I’ve had personal experience or someone explained it to me verbally in a way I could understand. Only reason I have a GED is because some general got his panties in a twist about a teenager operating a million-dollar jaeger without a high school diploma.”

Herc didn’t look surprised by that; no doubt, Raleigh thought, he had read Raleigh’s file. “Officially, your title will be Engineering Liaison, but you’re still a Ranger, still a jaeger pilot if we need one. Solana Enriquez has been my deputy marshal the last six weeks as a trial run.”

Raleigh’s eyes widened. “She ran the Los Angeles Shatterdome.”

“And Panama City as well, the last few months it was open,” Herc told him. “She’ll be my deputy, so you needn’t worry about that falling on your shoulders. I know what your problems are; I know you only came aboard because Stacker asked you where you’d rather die. I’m asking you now to live, Raleigh. Because it’s only going to get harder, not easier, and I know you have days where you get mixed up as to who you are. I have an understanding of that.”

Raleigh studied the older man a moment before replying. “I appreciate that, sir, and I’ll do my best.”

“One more thing,” Herc said. “Your stuff’s been moved to your new room, same security code as your old room.”

For a moment, alarm shot through Raleigh before he remembered he’d taken down his photo collection and packed it in his suitcase, not wanting to leave it behind. He had nothing to hide in those photos, but he had an almost irrational need to ensure that nobody else touched them without his permission. “Thanks.”

Herc nodded. “You’re welcome. Finish your brekkie before it gets cold. I’ll see you back in my office at 1500.”

“And until then, sir?”

“Enjoy not having to do anything or be anywhere,” Herc suggested, and rose to his feet. “Knowing Solana, she’ll probably find you at some point. Omega Envoy’s not due back from their patrol until later this evening; I know Santana and Rose wanted to talk to you when you returned. Tomorrow, you have the audience with the Lord Mayor of Hong Kong, so whatever you do tonight, make sure you’re coherent in the morning.”

“Yes, sir.”

Herc nodded acknowledgement, then left, making a beeline for the coffee.

Raleigh quickly finished his breakfast, wanting to see his new quarters. Part of him was disconcerted that Herc had moved him without asking, but he understood, too, that both Chuck and Mako had more to move than he did. This way was also a blatant announcement that not only did the marshal not care what Chuck, Mako, and Raleigh were doing together, he dared anyone to have a problem with it. After so many months on the road, sharing a room, Raleigh knew he wouldn’t be able to sleep without Chuck and Mako there; they grounded him, put up with his nightmares and PTSD, and gave him the freedom to accept that he might be less broken than he’d thought.

As Raleigh had expected, the new quarters were easily twice the size of his old one. Like his previous quarters, the room was set up as a furnished apartment, with a kitchenette and a full bathroom. Unlike his previous room, however, the space had been split roughly in half, with one half given to the kitchenette/living room, the other half given to the bedroom/bathroom. Instead of a studio apartment, this was a one-bedroom. A full wall separated the two areas, with a real door – not the pocket doors Raleigh had come to expect from Shatterdome construction – providing access to the bedroom and en suite. The living area was big enough to fit a small sectional, coffee table, side table, and a built-in desk. Opening what he thought was a closet, Raleigh discovered that the new quarters also had a half-bath with a stacked washer/dryer unit just off the entry. By his estimate, the new quarters were easily 900 square feet, with plenty of storage for clothes and whatever else he, Mako, and Chuck might desire. Whoever had moved him had also made sure the quarters were clean, stocked with linens, towels, soap, and the usual assortment of juices, snacks, and easy-to-prepare quick meals so if the mess hall was closed or the occupant didn’t want to be social, he or she would not go hungry. The laundry unit was a relief to Raleigh; he’d never been fond of dumping his dirty clothes in the communal laundry, even if it was better for the environment.

After emptying the contents of his suitcases, save for his suit, which he’d drop off at the ‘dome’s laundry facility to be dry-cleaned, Raleigh started a load of laundry. Beyond what he could stuff into two duffels, Raleigh hadn’t had much in the way of clothes. Part of the prep for the tour had been making sure he had clothes that were camera-ready, which meant he’d had to leave the most worn items of his wardrobe behind, i.e. most of it. Raleigh had been pleased to see some of the old Gipsy Danger logo wear the head of PR had unearthed from somewhere, but after three months of wearing them, he was just as pleased to know he wasn’t required to wear it any time soon.

Taking advantage of his solitude, Raleigh stripped naked and added everything he was wearing to the laundry pile before heading to shower. Though he would never tell Chuck, he relished the fact that this time, he had the shower to himself, no worrying about accidentally hurting his lover or wishing that Chuck was more healed. Consequently, Raleigh took a little longer than he normally would, enjoying the heat and steam, and taking the time to get thoroughly clean.

He stepped out of the wide shower, dried off, and hung the towel on one of the three available racks on the wall. Not expecting company, since both Mako and Chuck were scheduled to see the Shatterdome doctors as soon as they woke, Raleigh took his time getting dressed, choosing to wear just briefs and a pair of knee-length cargo shorts.

The first load of laundry was done by the time he finished dressing, so he dumped it into the dryer. He’d just finished turning the machine on when his phone rang.

“Where the hell are you?” Chuck demanded irritatedly as soon as Raleigh answered, three rings and a quick dash to the bedroom later.

“In our new quarters,” Raleigh told him.

“So that what my old man was trying to say,” Chuck said. “All I managed to understand before I got annoyed was that he moved to the marshal’s quarters. Where are you?”

“Two hallways east of your room, turn left at the junction, and then six doors down on the right. Is Mako with you?”

“I’ll wake her up,” Chuck offered. “It’s been four hours. I’d rather have her in our bed.”

“No, I’d rather wait. She needs to go see the doctor when she’s awake for that follow-up on her fibroid, and I’d rather wait until she’s had a little more sleep. You two are moody people when you haven’t slept.”

“Point,” Chuck said. “I need to bloody go see the doctor myself. Want to come meet me at the clinic and find out what he says about my leg and arm?”

“I can do that,” Raleigh agreed.

* * *

By the time Raleigh got to the clinic, Chuck was already in with the doctor, and Raleigh wasn't allowed in the room since Chuck hadn't specified that he could be. Raleigh didn’t mind not being there; he wasn’t fond of doctors as a whole, after his experiences with them. When Chuck left the patient room and walked into the lobby, he looked pissed.

“What’s going on?” Raleigh asked.

“I need physical therapy to increase my range of motion,” Chuck said. “And there’s a peachy chance I’ll still limp for a while because of the nerve damage.”

“Sounds like what I heard about my right arm,” Raleigh said with a nod. “It just takes time, and you’re definitely on the far end of the healing scale. Damp days will be hell for both of us.”

Chuck grimaced. “Not what I wanted to hear,” he told Raleigh. “Good news is that I don’t have to wear the soft casts unless I want to, which –” he gestured to his arm and calf “- I don’t. Come on, let’s bloody go see if Mako’s –” he started to say, and then saw her enter the clinic.

Mako walked up to him and kissed him. “I can tell from the look on your face that the news is not good,” she told him. “So, if you two can wait for me, we will all go to our new quarters and talk.”

As serenely as any queen, Mako stepped towards the medical assistant, who greeted her before leading her back to a patient room.

“How does she do that?” Chuck demanded, irritated.

Raleigh chuckled. “I’ll give you three guesses as to where she learned it, and the first two don’t count.” Aware that Chuck was just as worried about himself as he was Mako, Raleigh distracted him with a kiss.

Mako’s exam took half an hour. When she walked into the lobby where Raleigh and Chuck sat, waiting, she walked up to Chuck and kissed him sweetly before pulling back. “Relax. I’m fine. The doctor will integrate this checkup as part of my regular exam going forward as a precaution.”

“Glad to know that,” Chuck said roughly, his voice full of emotion.

“Come on, you two,” Raleigh said, amused. “Let’s take this party home.”

_RALEIGH BECKET IS THE FATHER OF MY KAIJU BABY – Weekly World News headline_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just wanted to say, again, thanks for all of the kudos, comments, and support!


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to Sam J., for the suggestion for the gossip news, and to N., for eight awesome years of love. :-)

Mako and Chuck loved their new quarters, and immediately began planning how to move all of Mako’s things into it. Chuck’s stuff was still mostly in boxes, since he’d been required to box it all up before Mutavore hit as part of the Sydney Shatterdome’s closure, so it would be a simple matter to grab a cart and relocate the stack.

Raleigh left them to it as he folded his now-clean clothes and put them away in the bedroom’s eight-drawer dresser. A hunch led him to check the nightstand to see if it was as stocked as the rest of the apartment; it was, with condoms and a good-quality lube that Raleigh guessed meant Herc probably had put it there himself. Squirming a bit at that thought, Raleigh reminded himself that while Herc was Chuck’s father and the new marshal, Herc had been Chuck’s copilot for six years, which meant Herc knew exactly what his son’s preferences were. Hearing movement in the living room, Raleigh hastily refocused his attention on putting his clothes away.

His silence didn’t go unnoticed; he’d just shut the last drawer when Chuck limped into the bedroom.

“You have no opinion on where things go?” Chuck challenged.

“No,” Raleigh said. “Least not until you two actually put the stuff up.”

Chuck grinned. “Got it. Something you’re trying to say, otherwise?”

“Well,” Raleigh drawled, “I do remember someone promising that we needed to figure out if we could fit into one bed and do some other fun things once we were all there, especially since we’ve discussed the whole safe sex thing and are clean, committed, and hate the taste of latex with oral sex….”

Faster than Raleigh thought Chuck could move, he was there, kissing him. Chuck kissed like he fought, attacking without hesitation, and Raleigh willingly surrendered. At the feel of his submission, Chuck gentled his approach, but was no less passionate. Raleigh couldn’t remember what to do with his hands and settled for gripping Chuck’s biceps as he enthusiastically returned Chuck’s kisses.

“What are you two –” Mako started to say, walking in a few moments later. Her voice died on a strangled, “Oh.”

Raleigh barely heard her. He was too busy being pressed to the bed by a very determined Australian who wanted to see just how Raleigh would respond to being kissed and fondled, now that they had a properly sized bed for three. Chuck managed to undo the zipper of Raleigh’s shorts and had gone immediately to Raleigh’s cock, freeing it from the confines of his briefs before shoving as much fabric as he could out of the way. Needing air, Raleigh tore his mouth free from Chuck’s.

Chuck didn’t waste time, moving directly to his target: Raleigh’s cock. The first brush of Chuck’s mouth on his cock made Raleigh’s breath hitch. Chuck grinned, took a breath, and then proceeded to prove he didn’t have a gag reflex. Raleigh knew his cock was proportionate for someone of his height and build, which meant that most of his lovers hadn’t been able to swallow him down in one shot.

“Jeezus, Chuck!” Raleigh inhaled sharply, looking down at where Chuck’s mouth was buried in his groin. “Ah, God.” He knew he was hooked for life on the sight, and then Chuck drew back, grinning like he’d won. Raleigh didn’t care; he’d get Chuck back for that, later. Much later, Raleigh decided; right now, he just wanted more of that talented mouth on him. It was hotter, too, knowing that Chuck was taking him bare, without the usual barrier of latex. 

“You two are overdressed,” Mako observed, breaking Raleigh’s concentration. Raleigh had forgotten she was even in the apartment, and he looked at her guiltily. He wasn’t interested in her sexually, but he never wanted to forget that they shared a lover, either.

Mako smirked briefly, but the way her mouth was slightly open said she was enjoying what she was seeing. Raleigh’s attention was quickly drawn back to what Chuck was doing, which was removing Raleigh’s shorts and briefs without losing his suction on Raleigh’s cock. Raleigh helped as best as he could, but when it became rapidly apparent that Chuck was going to have to move, Chuck did so with obvious reluctance.

Taking advantage of the break, Chuck quickly shed his clothes.

“Want me here or did you want to be alone?” Mako asked, moving closer. Raleigh glanced at her, wondering why she felt the need to ask.

“Always want you here,” Chuck told her, leaning over to kiss her as she stood at the edge of the bed. “But if you’d rather watch than participate, that’s apples.”

“No,” Mako said decisively. “Just wanted to be sure you wanted me as well.”

Hearing the bit of doubt in her voice, Chuck took a moment to kiss her thoroughly, giving her the reassurance she was craving. Raleigh shivered with desire at the sight and the heat they generated. 

“Want you to ride me while I suck Raleigh off,” Chuck told her, pulling back. “I’ll take my time later, but we’ve waited long enough.”

Mako breathed carefully, but began to undress, her eyes on both men. “Then let me catch up to you.” 

Raleigh took the opportunity to lean up and kiss Chuck. “If that’s what you want, then you need to be on the bed so you aren’t stretching so much. Mako, there are condoms in the nightstand; I looked earlier.”

It took a few minutes to arrange themselves, and Raleigh kept wanting to touch and kiss whatever part of Chuck he could reach, including mapping out Chuck’s tats with his tongue, a sentiment Mako shared, which made things more than a little heated by the time Mako slipped a condom on Chuck’s cock and slid herself down.

Raleigh couldn’t, from where he was at the head of the bed, see what Mako was doing, but he felt it in the way Chuck shuddered and resolutely tried to focus on continuing to deep-throat Raleigh. Chuck couldn’t focus, though, and wound up pulling back some so he could breathe. Raleigh didn’t care; he was enjoying what Chuck was doing, regardless, and told Chuck so, not caring that he sounded like some bad porn track. Raleigh hadn’t been in a threesome before this relationship, but he knew he couldn’t imagine having sex any way else. Just that thought alone sent Raleigh over the edge of the sexual cliff.

He flopped onto the bed, careful to do so on Chuck’s left side so he could use his good arm. Chuck immediately leaned over and kissed him, closed-mouth, which made Raleigh shiver with pleasure. Spent, he watched Mako take her pleasure from their lover, enjoying the sight of her so uninhibited. If they ever Drifted again, Raleigh knew they’d have to get past her embarrassment of this moment in hindsight, so he focused instead on the way Chuck immediately moved to lick and fondle her breasts, seeing Chuck’s genuine pleasure in her body and her responses as he tried to thrust up into her to meet her downward movement without flexing his leg too much.

Mako gasped and shivered, rolling with the wave of passion that cascaded through her as she kept riding Chuck. From the way she bit her lower lip and tried to focus, Raleigh could tell that she wouldn’t be happy until Chuck came, so he decided to help out. Quickly, Raleigh moved to where he could stroke Chuck’s balls, and was soon rewarded. Chuck grunted as he came, steadying Mako with his good hand, as Mako’s mouth fell open on a wordless moan before she stilled.

For a long, wordless moment, she stayed there before Chuck reached between them to steady the condom. “Much as I’d love for you to stay,” he half-teased, and she lifted up as Raleigh moved to get out of the way. Chuck quickly dealt with the condom, staggering off to the bathroom to throw it away before Raleigh could point out the small trashcan some thoughtful person had put between the nightstand and the bed.

“Note for future reference,” Raleigh said. “There’s a trashcan here.”

Chuck glared at him. “You could’ve said something sooner.”

Raleigh looked at him archly. “You moved too fast for a guy with nerve damage in his leg.”

“I was motivated,” Chuck said, flopping onto the bed and stretching his arms wide. “Come here, you two.”

Raleigh laughed and rolled carefully into Chuck’s arm as Mako did the same.

The comfortable silence stretched for a several minutes before Mako broke it. “So, I take it this means you’re as healed as you’re going to get, Chuck?”

Chuck repeated what he’d told Raleigh. 

“In that case,” Mako said, as practical as ever, “we should find out what your PT will be and make sure you do your homework.”

“Not now, love,” Chuck told her. “We were cuddling. I was enjoying it.”

Mako smothered a laugh. “You expect me to ignore what you promised to tell me, after you’ve made good on a previous promise?”

Chuck sighed and sat up. “No, Mako, but I’d like to know you won’t be like this in the afterglow all the time.”

Mako sat up as well and leaned into kiss him. “Yes, you did well, Chuck. I’m just not used to thinking I should linger.”

Surprised, Chuck looked at her. “You did the jump and run, too? And here I thought you didn’t date anyone after me.”

“I never said I was a nun,” Mako said primly. “Just picky and discreet.”

Raleigh couldn’t help it; he started laughing. “What, you thought she pined for you so hard she didn’t ever have sex again?”

“No,” Chuck sputtered, “but – I, oh hell. Anything I say will just get me up a chewie tree."

“I never stopped loving you,” Mako clarified, “but I also knew I had to be sure it wasn’t just first love and needed more data. You weren’t celibate, and I saw no reason to be, either.”

“Then I’m glad you’re here with me now,” Chuck said seriously. “Anyone up for trying out the shower?”

Raleigh glanced at the clock on the nightstand. “As long as we don’t play too much. I have a meeting with the marshal in an hour.”

“What for?” Chuck asked as they moved towards the bathroom.

“Outline my new duties further, or talk about something the marshal needs advice on, I guess,” Raleigh said, and told them of his morning conversation with Herc. Though he’d known Herc long enough to call him by his first name, Raleigh respected his new position, and was careful to distinguish between Herc-the-friend and Herc-the-marshal. 

“You’ll be good at it,” Mako reassured him. 

Raleigh wasn’t as confident as she was, but he let her belief in him carry him forward.

“That’s a heap of juggling,” Chuck observed, then his eyes widened. “You’re my old man’s go-between. We don’t have the Drift, and he needs a layer between us so no one can accuse him of favoritism when he makes certain decisions. Does he not trust his new deputy?”

“I don’t think it’s that,” Raleigh replied. “I think it’s more giving me the space for the days when I can’t think, so whatever plans you two are executing aren’t held back, waiting for my input. Remember how I was in Berlin?”

Mako and Chuck nodded. “You were reacting as if it hurt to answer questions,” Mako remembered. “Because it did.”

Chuck shook his head. “You’re thinking as if you’re going to have more of them.”

“Because in five years, I’ve had plenty of them. Maybe the next five years will be different, but I know what I’ve been through; I know what the psychologists told me. I have no reason to believe any different. Look, I’m not saying I’m not capable.”

“And you’re not kaput, either,” Chuck said fiercely. “I know you think that, but you’re not. I’ve seen kaput, and that’s my fucking loser rellie, who was well on the way to frying his brain before my old man nearly finished the job.” Stopping to lean against the bathroom counter for support, he drew Raleigh in close. “What my old man is giving you isn’t a consolation prize, Raleigh. He’s giving you the job of managing me and Mako, because he’s welcoming you to the fam.”

“Funny, I didn’t hear wedding bells,” Raleigh tried to joke.

“I’ll ring them if you want ‘em, but I won’t marry you without being able to marry Mako, too, and my old man knows that.” Chuck looked over to Mako. “And I’m sure he’ll have something for you. He does grand gestures well.”

“I noticed,” Mako said as she stepped into the glass enclosure of the shower. “The whole tour felt like one to me, except I thought it was meant for the world more than us.” She turned on the water. “A way to say that we are not going anywhere, and that we remain committed.”

Chuck nodded. “It was.” He refocused his attention on Raleigh. “Pay attention, because I may not say this often. I love you, Raleigh, and I love Mako. This is forever, as far as I’m concerned. You want out, you tell us, all right?”

“As long as you do the same,” Raleigh said. “I love you, Chuck. Come on, Mako’s got the water warm, and we can play again later. I don’t want to be late for my meeting with your dad.”

Chuck’s smile turned wicked. “In that case, I’d better make sure we make it clear we aren’t disappointing you any. Mako? Want to give me a hand?”

“When you two get in this shower, certainly,” Mako said.

Raleigh wound up being ten minutes late, but the look Herc gave him said exactly that he knew why, and was amused. “I see my son used you to see if he could annoy me,” Herc said mildly.

Raleigh flushed, not sure what to say. “Sir?” he asked hesitantly.

“Don’t let him get away with it when you get back. In the meantime, I’d like your opinion on this proposal from the head of the Anti-Kaiju Wall program to tear down the wall in sections, starting with the most recently unfinished section and working northward….”

_“Raleigh Becket – secret Broadway star? Now that the tour is over, an anonymous source has told us that Raleigh Becket is about to leave the PPDC to take a lead role in the upcoming musical based on his return to the Jaeger Program. ‘Yeah, let's do this; I'm very excited about it,’ Raleigh has been quoted as saying. Could Raleigh’s singing ability be as good as he looks? Time will tell. I’m Lucy Denehy, and you’re watching Extra! Stay tuned for the clip of the day.”_


	20. Chapter 20

_Epilogue – Six months later_

 

_“PPDC Rangers Mako Mori, Chuck Hansen, and Raleigh Becket appeared together for the first time in public since their Victory Tour ended. Dressed casually in t-shirts and jeans, the three were instantly recognized despite their attempt to go unnoticed. The trio appeared at the premiere of the new romantic comedy, 'Feeling Minnesota,' which has already hit number one in the UK and US. When asked who made the choice of movie, Chuck said that since their lives have already been an action-adventure film, they’d agreed to go see other genres and are working their way through the year’s upcoming films list._

_“The PPDC has issued an unusual statement regarding the trio. Forestalling any rumors, the PPDC acknowledged that Chuck Hansen is in a committed relationship with both Mako Mori and Raleigh Becket. The statement further acknowledged that Chuck has officially retired as a jaeger pilot, joining his father and copilot, Marshal Herc Hansen. Chuck was injured in the Battle of the Breach, resulting in permanent nerve damage to his left calf and twin titanium screws in his right elbow. Together with Mako Mori, Chuck is currently overseeing the Reconstruction Jaeger Program. Raleigh Becket is the PPDC’s Engineering Liaison and often acts as a subject matter expert for the new, smaller, more industrially-focused jaegers, which require only a single operator to pilot. The R-Jaegers, as they’ve become known, have been instrumental in rebuilding efforts in Hong Kong, Manila, and Sydney, and there is currently a high demand for both capable operators and R-jaegers to assist with the destruction of the Anti-Kaiju Wall. The UN has yet to respond to requests for comment on the new program. I’m Emily Harris and you’re watching CNN News.”_

 

“Remind me again why we agreed to this stupid list,” Raleigh began as he looked at the upcoming roster of movies on Mako’s tablet. “Because so far everything on it has been an incredible waste. About the only good thing about _Feeling Minnesota_ was that it had that actor we all liked.”

“Because we’re just that shallow about him,” Mako said lightly, amused, as she sat on the side chair in their living room, her feet tucked up under her as was her habit when it was just them.

“Hey, just because we have a healthy sex life does not mean we can’t appreciate art,” Raleigh argued from his position on the sofa on Mako’s left; Chuck sat on his right. “Especially tall, dark, handsome, and built art. Oh, hey, he’s in this one that comes out in three months. But the rest of the list is ugh. Except maybe this _Vendetta of Glory._ Sounds like a great B-movie.”

“You are not allowed to throw popcorn at the screen, remember?” Mako reminded him. “If we were anyone else, they would’ve kicked us out.”

“Oh, come on, it was horrible,” Raleigh replied, leaning forward. “You said so yourself.”

“Let me see that list. You picked the last travesty. None of us want to see yet another interpretation of what we did or the newest retread of a movie that was old when you were born, remember?” Chuck replied, reaching over and plucking the tablet out of Raleigh’s hands. “Sorry, but _Star Wars_ should’ve only been made once. And no more repeats of the _Night of the Memes from Outer Space_ type shit, either.”

“You have no appreciation for culture,” Mako sniffed.

“Culture? You’re the one who’s more Japanese than she’s British!” Chuck shot back. “Who got me hooked on anime, hmm?”

Raleigh just looked at them and grinned, well aware they’d be playfully arguing about this for several minutes, until one of them gave in and kissed the other silent. He’d learned that unless Chuck started going for the jugular or Mako retreated into a steamed silence, they were okay. No one had ever claimed it would be easy to juggle three very opinionated, ambitious, type-A personalities, and Raleigh would’ve voted himself to be the least capable one of doing it, but somehow, with these two – it worked.

He’d gotten used to this kind of banter between his copilot and his boyfriend. He may have even gotten a weird sort of kink about it, but he wasn’t going to interrupt. Nope. His brother raised him better than that. If he played his cards right, Raleigh might even manage to get them to a bed this time, instead of on their living room floor, and that meant that he, too, would have some fun. All he had to do was keep the argument from escalating into a real fight… and since he knew them inside and out at this point, he knew exactly what to say.

“Can the uncultured one in the room have a say?” he asked brightly. “Since apparently I’m too American to –”

Chuck kissed him, and Raleigh didn’t bother to hide the grin. Out of the corner of his eye, Raleigh could see Mako moving in to bracket Chuck, which would be the next step before she convinced them to relocate.

“I know what you’re doing, mate,” Chuck accused him. “Don’t think I haven’t figured out your plan here.”

“And?” Raleigh tried for his best innocent look.

Chuck laughed. “And you’d better move your ass to the bedroom,” he growled.

Their relationship wasn't perfect, as much as Mako might want it to be, but it was six months and counting, and none of them saw an end in sight.

_Sex Secrets of the Jaeger Pilots – Find out How You Too Can Find the Man **and** Woman of Your Dreams*– next issue of Cosmopolitan Magazine_

_GQ’s Woman and Men of the Year – Mako Mori, Chuck Hansen, Raleigh Becket, Marshal Hercules Hansen, and the late Marshal Stacker Pentecost_

* According to top sex experts (no actual pilots interviewed)

The End

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I sincerely hope you've enjoyed this as much as I've had fun writing it over the course of the last six weeks. Thanks for reading! :-)


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